Smallville: Steel & Marble
by sovereign91001
Summary: My take on the origin stories of two of Earth's greatest heroes, their eventual meeting, their careers and the relationship that follows; all set in the Smallville Universe. Superman/Wonder Woman
1. We have seen the enemy

**Intro: **This story will tend to lean more towards an episodic nature rather than arc based. This is more due to my style of writing rather than anything else, that said there will be carry over between chapters and 'mini-arcs' that will take between one to three chapters to resolve.

If you're curious, the title comes from Kingdom Come: In the scene leading up to the climatic final battle Wonder Woman kisses Superman roughly. Norman McCay; the stories principal narrator describes the sound of the kiss as the sound of steel scraping against marble, I always liked that statement in its implicit and explicitness so I decided to adopt it for my story.

**Notes on continuity: **This story begins at the first episode of Season 7: Bizzaro. This is my version of what I would've liked to see happen from seasons 7-10 and beyond. I will be borrowing canon and dialogue from the comics, DCAU, D.C's Justice League books and of course Smallville while throwing in some of my own flavor. Some changes you might notice immediately.

-Clark can fly and has been able to do so for the last two years. (An ability that in nearly every incarnation he's had before he graduates from high school, so even still we're a little overdue)

-Costume redesigns for most of the character's (I've always hated the generic hooded jacket/sunglasses combo that the SVU seems so fond of using)

-Lana didn't fake her death and then run off; she just ran off and is in hiding.

**Thanks: **I'd be lying if I neglected to mention that the members of the SM/WW yahoo group were a huge source of inspiration for me to write my own SM/WW fic (They've written some pretty awesome stuff and I suggest that you check it out).

**Warnings: **First this is a SM/WW fic. Second, don't be surprised to see some changes in the canon, any changes I made were in full knowledge and were done intentionally so don't flame me about it if you didn't take the time to read this.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters (too bad) they are the property of D.C./Warner Bros. No infringement is intended.

_**Smallville: Steel & Marble**_

_**Outer Space- 20 years ago**_

On the outskirts of our Solar System a large asteroid made a slow and lonely trek. The Asteroid had originated from a system some fourteen light years from Earth and through a chance encounter with a larger orbiting body had altered its trajectory and sent it on its current arc. A different day, a slightly different angle and it would have missed our solar system and have been fated to wander the cosmos for untold millennia.

But that wasn't the case.

The rock gave off an unusual green glow and massive amounts of radiation. It would be familiar to any of the citizens of Smallville; a rural town in Kansas whose only noteworthy accomplishments were the large amount of corn it produced and being the home of a recent freak meteor shower.

That would soon change.

In the meantime the asteroid made its slow and inexorable progress towards its destination: Earth.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Present Day<strong>_

Clark Kent crashed hard in a forest; he shook his head and tried to clear the cobwebs. He had been thrown through the side of Reeves Dam by the last of the phantoms. After nearly a year of fighting the escaped occupants of the Phantom Zone he was close to completing the task and rectifying his mistake in letting them out.

The plan to neutralize it had been simple, but then fate had thrown a wrench into his plans, this phantom evidently had the ability to copy other beings forms a feat it had managed to do to him, it had assumed his form and in doing so seemed to have gained his powers.

After taking his form the phantom had taunted him shortly before throwing him through the dam wall. "_I'm you, just a little more…bizarre."_

The Dam! With his super hearing Clark could detect the sound of cracking concrete and rushing water, he had to get back there; Lionel was still inside. He crouched preparing to lift off when a blur tackled him knocking him back through a tree.

The Phantom Clark rose up tall, a smirk on his face. "I don't think so Clark, you're not going anywhere."

He confidently strode over to his fallen foe and in doing so stepped into the patch of sunlight raining through the thick foliage by Clark's uprooting of the tree. He froze as a pained look crossed his features and for a moment his skin cracked into a metal like visage.

Not knowing what was going on but ceasing on the opportunity Clark quickly made his way to his feet and threw a right haymaker with everything he could put into it.

The Phantom Clark was launched like he had been shot out of a cannon and disappeared over the trees. He made to give chase but his hearing made it clear that he didn't have the time. Launching himself skyward Clark made his way to the dam, but it was too late. A great torrent of water swept through the weakened structure and made its way downstream. He caught sight of a boy standing a few hundred yards downstream of the dam, obviously paralyzed by fear as the great wave swept towards him.

_Gotta stop that wave, or else that boy is toast._ Pouring on the speed Clark landed in front of the incoming wave and unleashed a huge blast of his heat vision, instantly thousands of gallons of water were flash evaporated into a cloud of harmless steam. Clark gave the stunned boy a once over making sure he was okay before speeding off to the dam, as he did he heard the boy mutter "Cool."

* * *

><p>The Phantom Clark came to and noticed he had landed on a transformer and a jagged metal spike was sticking through his abdomen, resisting the urge to panic he managed to pull out the offending piece of metal and stood on shaky legs. <em>What the hell happened? I was about to finish off Kent but then I felt…weak.<em>

"Hey buddy, are you okay?"

The phantom snapped his head around at the sound of the voice, interrupting him. A middle aged man with brown hair was looking over him in concern.

"I heard a noise and I- Oh my god! You got a hole in your stomach! Hold on buddy I'll call an ambulance." The man presumably reached for a cell phone but he never got near it, the man's babbling annoyed him so the phantom shot a torrent of heat vision at him that reduced him to a pile of ashes.

He needed to recuperate if he was to kill Kent, his mind flashed back to his time in the dam, when Lionel had attempted to use a piece of Kryptonite to slow him down, it instead had the opposite effect, empowering him. It seemed that when he had replicated Clark Kent's form he had somehow negated the Kryptonians weakness to the radioactive ore.

Fortunately he possessed all of Clark's memories and knew where he could go for a quick pick-me-up. Holding his stomach wound he rocketed off in a blur to the Kent Farm.

* * *

><p>Clark had been searching for any sign of Lionel for a few minutes; however he wasn't making much in the way of progress. Much of the dam's structure seemed to be lined with lead, which was one of the only things that his x-ray vision couldn't penetrate.<p>

"_Help! Somebody help us!"_

Clark heard the voice clear as a bell and he recognized it instantly, it belonged to Lois. Turning around he quickly sunk a hand into a crumbling wall and pushed. The wall fell down to reveal Lois half dragging half carrying a young boy in one hand and Chloe in the other.

"Lois, are you alright?"

Lois breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of a familiar face. "Smallville, thank God you're here."

Clark stepped through the crumbled wall and quickly assessed the situation with his x-ray vision. _Lois and that boy seem okay, Chloe's out cold though I can only detect a weak pulse and it looks like its fading. She needs medical attention quickly._

"Have you called an ambulance?"

"No, my phone got swept away in the flood, do you have yours Clark?"

He did and his first instinct was to reach for it and give it to her but he wasn't sure if an ambulance could reach them before Chloe's life signs were extinguished. He glanced at Lois's anxious face and hesitated, he could get Chloe to Smallville medical center in time but not without revealing his secret to Lois.

"Clark?"

He let out a sigh; it was like history was repeating itself when he had revealed his secret two years ago to Chloe in order to save her life. In that time Chloe had become an invaluable ally to him, hopefully this would be a decision he wouldn't end up regretting.

"Lois, I need you to grab that boy and hold him tight, as tight as you can."

"What the hell are you talking about Smallville? Chloe needs-"

Clark's voice rose sharply as he interrupted her and a measure of authority crept into it. "Just do it!"

Lois looked at him for a second before she hastened to comply. While she did he walked over to Chloe and gently lifted her up in one arm. He wrapped his other around Lois's waist and she looked up at him in surprise. "Whatever you do don't let go of the boy."

Puzzled Lois opened her mouth to ask Clark what he was talking about when suddenly the world around her blurred and the next thing she knew she was watching the Kansas countryside streak below her. She looked over to see Clark flying…flying with a grim look on his face. _Okay Lane, time to wake up now._

Clark touched down lightly outside of Smallville Medical Center, he immediately let go of Lois and jogged off towards the entrance, calling over his shoulder for her to follow him. Lois watched him blankly for a moment before her mind unfroze and she started after him on unsteady legs.

Fifteen minutes later Clark and Lois stood in the E.R. after having finished giving their statements to the police who had been called in when they had showed up with an unknown young boy. Lois was still in shock about what had transpired earlier but to her credit she was starting to regain her sensibilities and was able to give her statement without arousing any suspicions.

He walked over to her and gently took her by the shoulder to lead her into a private corner of the room. He lowered his voice and looked her dead in the eye. "Lois I know you probably have a million questions and want to talk about what happened, I promise I'll answer everything but first I need to know, what happened to Chloe and why were you two at Reeve's Dam."

"Do you remember when Wes Keenan tried to kill me?"

Clark nodded, recalling the event. Wes Kennan had been a childhood friend of Lois's turned brainwashed super-soldier who had been a victim of Lex's Project Ares. He had under Lex's orders killed a senator, Lois having been a witness to the murder identified Keenan. Keenan had then tried to kill Lois, but in the attempt to kill his old friend, he briefly broke through his conditioning and his personality reasserted itself.

It wouldn't last and Clark was forced to stop him. Keenan had later died due to the injuries he sustained in the battle.

"Well right before he died he kept repeating a series of numbers over and over again, I did some digging and found out they were coordinates, coordinates to Reeves Dam. My G.P.S did the rest; I thought it had to do with Lex and Project Ares, like he was using the dam like a base or something. But before I could find anything out one of Lex's goons caught me and stabbed me, I managed to take him out but I thought I was a goner…there was so much blood." She shook her head for a moment before continuing. "I managed to call Chloe and kind of passed out. The next thing I know, there was this bright light and then I'm waking up to find my stab wound is gone and Chloe passed out. You know the rest from there."

"The question is how you're wound miraculously healed and what happened to Chloe… maybe she's been infected by meteor rocks or Lex's men did something to her or-"

"If he laid a hand on Chloe, I'll make him wish he was never born." She said darkly. "Speaking of meteor's I think it's your turn to do a little sharing."

Clark rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Er… maybe now isn't the best time for this Lois…"

"Why not, you heard the doctors; all we can do now is wait." She looked around and lowered her voice. "So how long have you had meteor powers?"

He sighed; it didn't look like he was getting out of this one. "Let's go outside and talk about this."

They walked a few hundred yards away from the hospital and sat on one of the benches. He started without preamble. "To answer your question I…don't have meteor powers, I was born this way."

Lois eyes widened. "So you're a mutant or something?"

"No I'm an alien, I was born on another planet."

"Alien? But you look so…"

"Human?" he offered wryly.

She looked abashed. "I'm sorry it's just-"

He smiled at her. "I understand it's a lot to take in."

"Does anyone else know?"

He noted that his was almost a word for word mirror of what Chloe had said to him when he had revealed his secret to her. "My mom, Pete, Chloe-

"Wait, Chloe knows?"

"Yeah, she's known for a few years now and she's been a huge help to me more times than I can count. Lionel and…" he stopped himself. He had been about to say Oliver but that would have led to some awkward questions. Question's he wasn't sure Oliver wanted Lois to have the answers to yet. So instead he paused before amending his statement. "And now you."

Fortunately Lois didn't seem to notice the pause. "Lionel, _Lionel Luthor_?"

"Uh…it's a long story."

"What about Lana?"

He shook his head and Lois seemed generally surprised. "Wow, I'd have thought if anybody knew it would've been her."

Clark really didn't want to get into his situation with Lana at the moment. "Why don't we go back inside and see how Chloe's doing?"

She recognized the change in subject and let it go. "Sure."

Clark stood and began to walk back to the hospital.

"Smallville?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Thanks for being straight with me, I promise you won't have to worry about me running around and blabbing. I'm good at keeping secrets…when I need to and I hope I earn the trust you've showed me."

He smiled. "I'm not worried Lois, you've been a good friend and you've earned my trust a long time ago. I'm just sorry I couldn't be honest with you earlier."

She shook her head. "I understand, you had your reasons for keeping your secrets and if I had been you I'm not sure I'd have told me either. Come on let's get back."

* * *

><p>The phantom Clark looked down at the piece of kryptonite in his hand, until a moment ago it had been glowing green but after he had absorbed its power it had turned clear. It had served its purpose; his wounds from his earlier battle had healed completely and he was back to full power, but it wasn't enough. He wanted…no needed more power if he was to ensure that the next time he encountered Kent he'd be able to take him down for keeps. For that to happen he needed more kryptonite. He closed his eyes for a moment and scanned through Clark's memories, finally he settled on an image of a certain rich young industrialist. <em>He<em> would definitely know where to get more kryptonite, if he didn't have his own private stock already. Practically salivating at the thought the phantom flew straight through the roof of the Kent barn and headed for his next destination.

Lex sat with his head in his hands in Luthor manor, project Ares was up in flames, he had a phantom looking to kill him and Lana was gone. Intellectually he knew he should probably be trying to find a way to stop the phantom or at the very least be out looking for Lana, but he just couldn't muster the energy. He had barely escaped from the dam and the image of the wraith chasing him sent shivers down his spine.

He was trying to better the world but it always seemed like something stopped him, the worst part was that no one around him seemed to understand what he was trying to accomplish or appreciate the risks he was willing to take. They always ended up betraying him, first his father, than Clark and now finally Lana. He looked down at his wedding ring and was seized by the urge to toss it in the fireplace. After everything that he had done for Lana, all the time's he had protected her, after everything she had turned out like everyone else and had left him as well. Numbly he reached for the decanter of imported whiskey he kept close by when a loud whoosh and an accompanying gust of wind caught his attention.

He stood and turned to see Clark observing him, but there was something…off about him. Clark and he may not have been on speaking terms anymore but Lex had known him for over six years, it was safe to say he knew Clark fairly well.

"Clark, what're you doing here?" Rather than any desire to actually know, he was stalling for time to assess the situation.

Clark smirked at him and moved slowly and deliberately into the foyer. "Meteor rocks Lex. I want lots of meteor rocks and you're going to give them to me."

The manner of movement, the attitude, the subtle something that seemed…off, it all clicked then, it was the phantom and somehow it had possessed Clark. Moving quickly he dashed to his desk to get the gun he stashed there.

He never even got close.

Impossibly Clark was standing in front of him and dangling his gun from one hand. "Looking for this?" he inquired innocently before crushing…crushing it in his hand as if it were nothing more than a piece of paper and dropping the twisted mass on the floor. "I don't think so. I'm not going to repeat myself again Lex, I want meteor rocks and I want them _now."_

Desperate Lex tried to reach out to his former friend. "Clark listen to me, you've been possessed by the wraith, I can help you but-"

He was interrupted by Clark laughing in his face. "I'm not possessing Kent, I copied him…nice try though. Last chance Lex, either give me the meteor rocks or things get nasty." As to emphasize the point he brought his fist down on Lex's desk, splitting it in half. Lex eyed the desk for a moment before looking back at the phantom Clark. "Fine, we'll do it your way. I'll take you to the meteor rocks."

The phantom Clark smirked again. "Smart choice."


	2. and he is us

Lois and Clark had been at Smallville Medical for the past few hours waiting on any news about Chloe. Lois had taken to pacing the halls like a caged tigress. After her thirteenth pass by she looked down at Clark who was infuriatingly calm. "How can you stand this Smallville?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "There's not much else we can do is there?"

"Not here maybe, but you got me thinking maybe Lex _did_ have something to do with what happened to Chloe. I'm going to go do some snooping around, can you stay here and keep an eye on things for me?"

Clark's first instinct was to tell her to stay at the hospital but he had known Lois for long enough to know she didn't do well waiting around for other people to do things. Instead he reached for his cell phone and handed it to her. "Take this and be careful, Lex is very dangerous, these days."

Lois smirked at him. "I know Clark, but I can be pretty formidable myself."

Clark rolled his eyes. "I'll call you if anything changes."

* * *

><p>Inside a room the prone form of Chloe Sullivan lay on a gurney. She had been there for several hours and in that time doctors had run every conceivable test they could think of on her but nothing explained what was wrong with her; or rather what wasn't wrong with her. By all indication Ms. Sullivan was a healthy normal woman of twenty years and nothing could explain why she had failing life signs. They had tried to pump her full of various drugs in order to stabilize her but it seemed that the hospital staff was fighting a losing battle. Suddenly Chloe's heart monitor spiked as her heart rate increased before completely falling off. An alarm sounded and an electronic voice declared over the loudspeakers that a code blue was in progress. Moments later a crash team was in place and a defibrillator was placed on her chest while another tech began C.P.R. They tried for several minutes but we're unable to raise any life signs.<p>

* * *

><p>The attending physician looked at his watch and made the grim delivery. "Mark time of death at 3:42 pm."<p>

Clark had heard the code blue and had prayed it wasn't Chloe, he saw the crash team walk out of the room followed shortly by a man wheeling a way a gurney covered by a stark white sheet. With his eyes he could have easily verified if it was Chloe or not but a part of him dreaded what he might see; so he instead made his way to the nurse's station before he could make it though he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and saw a nurse, in just one glance he knew what she was going to say.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kent but she didn't make it."

Clark closed his eyes and nodded his head.

"Are you her next of kin?"

He tried to keep his breathing level but his eyes were stinging. "No, her cousin would be her next of kin."

"Can you get in contact with them? We need someone to sign papers."

"Sure, sure." His voice had gotten strangely husky.

The nurse reached out and rubbed his arm. "Thank you, and I'm sorry for your loss."

She disappeared and Clark just stood there. _Chloe, I'm so sorry I couldn't do more for you._ The first tears began to fall, he had seen people die before but Chloe was different…she had always been there for him even when he hadn't known he needed her. Bullets bounced of him and he saved lives but when it counted he couldn't seem to stop death from claiming those closest to him first Alicia Baker, then his father and now Chloe.

_What do I tell Lois and Jimmy and everyone else? _He made his way to the elevator intending to get some air to clear his head before calling Lois when his ears picked up an odd thumping.

He focused his hearing, tuning out the other outside noise and focusing on the thumping. "_Let me out! Help, somebody help me!"_

The voice was one he had heard countless times. It was Chloe's.

Not wasting a second Clark's form blurred as he began to run at super speed, using his hearing as a sort of radar Clark ran until he stopped outside the morgue. He heard Chloe's voice coming from one of the cold storage units that bodies were kept in a quick glance with his x-ray vision confirmed that there was movement in one of the drawers. He rushed forward and grasped the small door, his adrenalin was pumping so hard he momentarily forgot about his strength and tore the door off its hinges. He rolled the slab out and there was Chloe, pale but very much alive.

She shivered as she looked up at him. "C-Clark?"

Clark couldn't believe his eyes. "Thank God, you're alive Chloe!"

She looked down and noticed she was naked, save the white sheet. "Why the hell was I in a morgue drawer? And where are my clothes?"

"Uhm Chloe this may sound strange but you were…dead."

"What?"

He gave her a rundown of everything that had transpired since the dam.

Chloe sat up making sure that the sheet covered her still. "I was not dead Clark. There must've been some kind of mistake."

"But-"

She cut across him. "How on Earth could I be talking to you otherwise? Dead people don't just…come back to life."

He could tell she was getting angry. "Chloe…I know it's hard to believe but somehow you came back, maybe you gained meteor powers or-"

She reached down and pulled off a toe tag and after reading it for a moment crumpled it in one hand. Looking back at him, her green eyes sparked. "Let's get a few things straight Clark, I _didn't_ die and I _don't_ have meteor powers."

"I-"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore; can you just get me out of here?"

He looked at her for a moment before conceding that it_ was_ a lot for her to take in, he gently picked her up, making sure not to disturb the sheet. Once she was secure he sped off for the Talon. He knew that there would be a lot of questions that needed to be answered about Chloe's miraculous resuscitation and the hospital would want to exam Chloe personally but all that mattered right now was getting her someplace safe.

A few moments later he stopped in the living room of Chloe's apartment. She hoped out of his arms and after securing her sheet disappeared into the bathroom. Clark reached down and picked up the phone and dialed his cellphone, Lois picked up between the first and second ring.

He could her the anxiety in her voice. "What happened Clark, is Chloe okay?"

"It's hard to explain but she's fine, we're back at the Talon, did you find anything out?"

"No, but the Luthor mansion has been torn up, it looks like a monster rampaged through here, the desk is broken in half and there's something that looks like it used to be a gun and-"

_The Phantom! I've been so concerned with Chloe that I'd forgotten about him, he obviously wanted Lex for something and he could still be there. If he hurts Lois…_

"Lois stay right there, don't move."

"What are you talking about Small-"

There was a whoosh accompanied by a gust of wind behind her. "-ville?"

She turned around a half perturbed half amused look on her face. "I don't think I'm going to get used to that."

Clark observed the room around him, the destruction made it fairly obvious his phantom doppelganger had been present, but what did he want from Lex? Maybe he was holding him hostage hoping that he'd come to his rescue, but that didn't make sense. The phantom had his memories and would know that the days off Clark going out of his way to save Lex were long gone. If he wanted a hostage there was a whole list of better candidates. He felt like he was missing something.

"Hello, Earth to Smallville do you read me?"

Clark realized he had completely missed what Lois had been saying. "I'm sorry but could you repeat that again?"

Lois hefted a sigh. "I asked why did you rush over here so quickly, do you know who did this?"

"Yeah…yeah I think I do, but let's go back to the Talon so I can tell you and Chloe together."

"Okay Smallville, lead on."

* * *

><p>Lex pulled his custom built Lamborghini to a stop in front of Reeves Dam, his passenger glanced at him. "They're here?"<p>

Lex nodded. "Yes."

"This better not be a trick Lex or I swear you won't live to regret it."

The Phantom Clark got out the car and Lex followed suit but not before palming the revolver he kept hidden under the seat; it hadn't worked the first time but he'd have the element of surprise on his side this time.

The two men walked into the dam with Lex in the lead, the laboratory they were attempting to reach was on the bottom level of the structure, as they made their way down Lex decided now was a good opportunity to try and learn more about this creature, he might even find a way to force it into doing his own bidding.

"I may have tracked you around the globe, but clearly you're not a native. Where are you from and why did you only replicate Clark?"

The phantom chuckled. "You've got a decision to make, Lex. What's more important? Saving your own skin or solving the mystery of Clark Kent?"

Lex narrowed his eyes. It didn't look like he was going to get much more out of this creature but it had confirmed what he had long suspected…there was something special about Clark Kent and he'd find out what it was if it was the last thing he did.

Back at the Talon Chloe, Lois and Clark we're having a brainstorming session. After the two girls had had a tearful reunion and Clark had brought Chloe up to date with the fact that Lois knew his secret and that there was a zoner on the loose that was masquerading as him.

"How am I supposed to stop someone who has all my powers and none of my weaknesses? When Lionel used kryptonite on him he just got stronger."

"Maybe that's why this _thing_ went after Lex so he could get more of this kryptonite stuff so he could be strong enough to beat you." Lois suggested.

Chloe's eyes went wide. "Lo, you're a genius!" she ran over to her laptop and after a few minutes of furious typing turned it around. "Clark I just hacked into Luthourcorp's shipping database, take a look at this!"

Clark read the screen; for the past few months Lex had large quantities of meteor rock shipped out from a warehouse in Metropolis to Reeves Dam.

"If the phantom threatened Lex into giving him kryptonite I'd bet my last dollar that _this_ is where Lex took him."

"But how am I supposed to stop him?"

Lois came to the rescue again. "Well if what makes you weak makes him strong, maybe it works in reverse to. What makes you strong Clark?"

Chloe answered for him. "Sunlight!" She looked at her cousin in appreciation. "First day on the job and you're already two for two Lo."

To her credit Lois tried not to look too proud.

"Thanks guys you've both been a great help." Clark said, he strode to the window and opened it before launching himself out of it and straight up, a moment later as he sped up he became a red blur and disappeared over the horizon.

Lois rushed over to the window and watched with an awed look on her face. "That is so cool."

Chloe smiled at Lois's excitement. "I know."

* * *

><p>Lex stopped outside the lab. "Right through that door."<p>

The phantom moved forward, a kind of glee was painted on its face and in that moment Lex raised his gun and fired. There was a pinging noise and the phantom slowly turned around. Quickly Lex emptied his weapon but the next five bullets had no more effect than the first one had. Shaking its head the phantom backhanded Lex and then pried open the lab door. He stepped through and immediately felt the empowering radiation of kryptonite hit him. Laughing he waded into it and began to absorb its power. Moments later he stood chest heaving and he slowly raised a fist, energy seemed to course through him…he felt unstoppable.

Clark came to a stop and saw the wild eyed phantom and an unconscious Lex and knew he was too late.

"Ahh, the esteemed Clark Kent has finally arrived. Too bad you didn't make it in time to stop me from powering up, in fact let's see just how much more powerful I am than you." Balling his fist the phantom shot forward and hit Clark with a left hook, Clark went flying through several walls before coming to a stop. The phantom smiled and strode over to his opponent confidently.

Clark winced in pain; that punch had knocked him for a loop, but he wasn't down yet. He got back to his feet. "Is that all you got?" he taunted.

The phantom smirked and waggled his finger. "I know what that punch took out of you Kent, you can't bluff me and-" He shot forward again and hit Clark with a lightning fast combination of jabs before punctuating them with another left hook.

He continued the assault while he spoke."-you can't beat me. You're weak Kent, instead of embracing your powers and destiny like you should have, you we're busy making moon eyes at Lana and playing protector for all these other humans." He kicked the downed hero before bending over him.

The phantom then picked up Clark in one hand by the scruff of his shirt. "You could have ruled them, but you wanted to be _one_ of them." He pulled back his fist to deliver the final blow. "Now you can die like one of them."

Reacting with all the speed and power he had left Clark trained his heat vision upward at the ceiling, the concrete was vaporized leaving a huge hole through which sunlight poured in. Almost instantly Clark could feel himself getting stronger as his wounds healed. _Cut it a little close there, but I had to make sure he got over confident._

The phantom was writhing in pain and his skin had assumed its cracked metal visage from earlier. Breaking his opponent's grip Clark landed and hit him with an uppercut that sent him up through the hole he had just created. He sucked in a deep breath and launched himself up after his foe. A thousand or so feet up he caught up with the phantom, holding him in a tight grip Clark poured on the speed, the phantom was desperately struggling to break Clark's grip but its strength seemed to be waning. _I hope this works otherwise I'm a goner._ He pushed himself faster still and a few moments later he had achieved escape velocity. For the first time since the Kal-El intelligence had taken over his mind Clark was in orbit, but he didn't stop there he kept flying, his destination was the sun or as close as he could get to it.

He began to feel dizzy and faint headed; the air in his lungs was starting to run out. Looking at his opponent Clark saw that the phantom had passed out, letting it go he reached into his jacket he pulled out the Crystal of El and pointed at the creature, the crystal glowed blue for a moment before the phantom Clark vanished back into the Phantom Zone. Clark turned around and headed back to Earth as quickly as he could, but his body overtaxed from his fight with the phantom, the amount of energy he had burned pushing himself and the lack of air took their toll and as he passed through the upper atmosphere he blacked out.

When he came to he was several miles over China and glowing hot from re-entry, using everything he had he managed to right himself and change his arc and moments later he was back in control and streaking to Kansas at somewhere near Mach 10. He had beaten the last zoner and he was heading home, despite being more exhausted than he could remember Clark couldn't help but feel an overpowering sense of relief as if a great burden of guilt had been lifted from his shoulders.

* * *

><p>Inside a small house in Beijing a woman with short blond hair looked up into the night sky and saw a lone shooting star streak across the ebony night sky. She smiled, the object taking her back to a simpler time in her life. A time growing up among corn and meteor showers, she didn't know it at the time but those had been the best days of her life. Sighing she turned around and looked at her new surroundings, this was her life now thanks to some less than smart choices. She sent a wish upon the shooting star that her friends could forgive her for leaving and that they'd be okay.<p>

She lay down on her bed and thought back to those better times before slowly drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>That's it for now, I'll be updating this every Friday. Hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!<p> 


	3. Files and Fishnets

**Okay this chapter was a little long so I ended up breaking it in two and posting them both today, this chapter is based off the events of season seven episode **_**Siren**_**, with a passing reference to **_**Cure. **_**After the end of Chapter fourI won't be restructuring/reconstructing episodes of Smallville, I'll be taking the series into a more original direction, that said the characters, dialogue and events of various episodes will be referenced and appering in various forms throughout later chapters.**

**Thanks: To everyone who read (which were a lot more than I thought) you have my deepest thanks. An extra special thank you goes out to: radone1969, ****ben10987654321, whatweareafraidof, Robenson, unoaranya30 ****and lilbit4 for taking the time to write a review for my story.**

**To lilbit4: While your particular pairing won't be getting much (if any) screen time I appreciate that you're reading and I hope you can find something to enjoy in my story regardless of the lack of a romantic relationship between Clark and Lois.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Smallville/Superman (besides a cool coffee mug). The characters all belong to D.C/ Warner Bros. No infringement is intended.**

* * *

><p><strong><em>One month later<em>**

Oliver Queen dropped his duffel bag onto his couch and plopped down a moment later. He had just returned from an extended mission with his self-styled league of heroes to shut down Lex Luthor's various 33.1 facilities. They had managed to knock out eight of the satellites before Lex had the project disbanded and moved. It was a huge success, now hundreds of meteor infected and metahuman's had been set free from Lex's nefarious plans and were now free to live their lives how they choose. Despite being happy to return home he wanted nothing more than to take a hot shower and a nap; he stood to do just that when he was interrupted by a knock on his penthouse suite's door. He had a suspicion he knew who it was, only one person would know to knock on his door less than five minutes after he arrived, the timing was too much of a coincidence.

"Come in." he called out.

The door opened and sure enough it was who he had expected. "Less than two minutes in huh?"

His visitor smiled revealing a perfect row of white teeth. "Come on Oliver. I gave you at least _three_ minutes."

Oliver shook his head but he was smiling. "Good to see you Clark."

"You too."

The two men shook hands and Oliver indicated that Clark should have a seat.

"So what's so important that it couldn't wait until after I took a shower?"

Clark took the offered seat. "It's Chloe, I'm worried about her."

Oliver frowned all levity gone from his face. "What's going on?"

Clark filled Oliver in on what had happened last month with the phantom, Lois learning his secret and Chloe's mysterious resurrection. "And just last week she tried to get her powers removed by some psychotic doctor that was working for Lex. She says everything's alright but I found out that she broke up with Jimmy…Lois and I've tried everything we can think of but it's like she's losing herself."

Oliver shook his head. "This does sound pretty bad, but what do you want me to do?"

"Chloe needs to see her powers for what they are; a gift not a curse. I was thinking that maybe you and the league could take her in and help her embrace her abilities. I know when I used to have doubts about my powers having a group of people in a similar situation that I could've turned to, would've been a huge help for me."

Oliver stroked his chin and his recently grown goatee (he was debating whether or not to keep it) thoughtfully. "I think I can come up with something, but it's gonna have to be subtle. Chloe's scary smart and she'll probably see any attempt to sway her coming from a mile away."

"Thanks Oliver, I knew I could count on you."

"No problem Clark, but I have a question for you. Now that the last of the phantoms is safely locked away have you given anymore thought into joining the league?"

Before Oliver and his team had left to shut down Lex's 33.1 facilities across the globe Clark had been offered a position with them. A position he had been forced to decline because at the time he had been tracking down the escaped occupants of the Phantom Zone.

Clark hesitated for a moment. "I have and…I don't think I'm ready yet. I'm just getting my head around trying to protect Metropolis I don't know if I can devote the time to the league that it deserves."

Oliver gestured at a copy of the Daily Planet sitting on his coffee table. "I noticed that, I figured the red-blue blur had to be you. But that's an even better reason for you to join the league; we support and encourage each other. You just got through saying how a support system would've helped you, was that true or a load of Kansas hot air? You don't have to go it alone Clark."

Clark smiled. "Alright, let me get back to you."

"One thing though Clark, we're gonna have to do something about your duds…the red jacket and blue shirt just isn't working for you."

"This coming from the guy who runs around in a hooded jacket and sunglasses at night."

Oliver raised his index finger. "Ahh, but you haven't seen my new costume." He reached over to his duffel bag and after unzipping it pulled out a green sleeveless jerkin, green pants, knee high black boots. A pair of green fingerless gloves and a black domino mask.

"What do you think?"

"It's a definite improvement, but why'd you get rid of the other one?"

"I didn't have a choice; it was damaged pretty badly in a fight with a metahuman that goes by the name of Cheetah."

Clark tried to hold in a snort of laughter. "Cheetah…seriously?"

Oliver rolled his eyes. "Yeah I know, but she was no joke. Fortunately Zatanna is handy with a sewing machine and-"

"Who's Zatanna?"

"Newest League recruit, ran into her in Rio and she helped save our bacon, doesn't hurt that she's a sorceress either…"

Clark's eyebrows shot up. "Sorceress, as in magic?"

"Yup, it's really something you have to see to believe; anyway I'm sure she'd be willing to whip something up for you. You should see what she did for Bart, and J'onn."

Clark thought of his past experiences with magic and repressed a shudder. "Uh thanks, but I think I'm good."

Oliver shrugged. "Suit yourself farm boy. Now if you'll excuse me I need to take a shower and get a nap so I can surprise Lois with a romantic dinner."

Clark got up but hesitated. "When she found out about my secret she took it pretty well, all things considering. Maybe you should-"

"Goodbye Clark." Oliver said pointedly.

Clark took the hint and departed leaving Oliver alone. He appreciated what Clark was trying to tell him but he had already planned to reveal his identity to Lois and ask her to move in with him. With any luck, this would be his last night alone.

* * *

><p>It was several hours later that saw Chloe in the Daily Planet's basement intercepting a file with 'eyes only clearance' for Lex Luthor. She smiled as she input a complex series of data and managed to trap the file. She was wearing a wireless headset and reached and touched the small button on the side once it to open the channel. <em>"Got the file Arrow."<em>

On the other side of the line Oliver was in his Green Arrow costume; he looked down at a digital display on his right gauntlet and sighed. He was cutting his dinner date with Lois close, but an informant of his had told him that Lex was to receive a file about the construction of a new 33.1 facility. So seeing the opportunity to not only find out about Lex's plan but to put Chloe to a field test he had her crack the encryption of Luthorcorp. In next to no time she had accomplished her objectives and he had to admit he was impressed. Despite the fact that he was on a secure line, his voice still issued out in a whisper._ "Download the file to the thumb drive and then make sure you delete any trace you were in there."_

"_Roger."_

For the first time in weeks Chloe felt a sense of peace, she was doing what she did best. There was no awkward tension with Jimmy, no Clark trying to reassure and no Lois trying to cheer her up. Here there was only the simplicity of computers and code. She finished downloading the file to the encrypted thumb drive and was in the process of deleting her digital footprints when…

"Excellent work Ms. Sullivan, now turn around nice and slow and hand me that thumb drive."

Chloe's heart rate jumped and she slowly turned her chair around to see a woman standing about fifteen feet away from her. The woman was fairly tall and had short spiked blond hair. She was dressed in a leather jacket underneath which she wore a black one piece, her ensemble was completed by fishnet stockings that encased legs a model would've died to have; the fishnets tucked into a heavy pair of knee high boots. Her features were obscured by a thin domino mask.

"Who are you?"

"That doesn't matter. What does matter is that you give me that thumb drive. You've made some powerful enemies Ms. Sullivan and while I'd prefer if things didn't get violent I'll go there if I have to."

Chloe assessed her tone and body language. _She's a professional; I'm not going to get much out of her._

Thinking quickly she reached down and pulled a paperweight off her desk and threw it at the woman, the shot went wide but in the moment the woman had been caught off guard Chloe turned tail and bolted.

The woman sighed, if her query wanted to play it like that, she'd be more than happy to oblige. With the conditioning of a trained athlete the mysterious woman gave chase, she saw her target up ahead, reached down into a hip mounted pouch and pulled out a small throwing dagger. Taking aim she let the small projectile fly, it landed with a thud in a wall, barely missing her query as she rounded a corner.

Chloe huffed as she burst into the stairwell and began ascending the stairs of the Daily Planet, she could hear her pursuer behind her, she had maybe a three flight lead, but at the speed the woman was moving it wouldn't be long until she caught up to her.

She hit the button on her earpiece. _"Arrow, I'm going to need some backup, the sooner the better. I have the file but I've got a hostile on my tail."_

"_Can you make it to the roof?"_

"_Yeah__,__ I think so."_

"_I'll meet you there, Arrow out."_

Oliver landed on the roof of the Daily Planet, retracted his grapnel and quickly assessed the area for the best place to position himself, he decided on the wall adjoining the roof access entrance. He barely had time to get in position before Chloe burst through the door followed momentarily by a blonde woman dressed in black.

"Unless you can fly Ms. Sullivan you have nowhere left to run, now if you'd be so kind as to hand me that thumb drive…"

"You don't have anywhere to run either." A deep voice proclaimed.

The woman in black whirled around at the sound of the voice and saw a man in a dark green costume step out of the shadows. _Green Arrow! Damn, this could complicate things…_

Letting out a growl the woman charged Green Arrow who barely had time to raise his guard before the woman was all over him throwing punches and kicks. He was impressed by her skills whoever she was she was good… he ducked a vicious cross ….really good. He seized an opening though and grabbed an incoming punch, he used her own momentum to shoulder toss her onto the ground. Then in one fluid motion drew his bow and loaded an arrow, he confirmed her distance before letting the arrow fly, in midair the arrow split into two with a net cast between them, each new arrow sunk into the roof with a satisfying 'thunk' pinning the woman with the net between them. Assured his opponent was secure Green Arrow made his way to Chloe.

"Are you okay?"

Before she could respond she heard a noise unlike anything she had ever heard before, it was a cross between a scream and high pitched whistle. The noise seemed to be coming from the pinned woman's mouth, and a moment later Chloe saw Green Arrow's net dissolve into dust. The woman nipped up and all Chloe could do was shout at Green Arrow. "Look out!"

Green Arrow turned around in time to catch the right foot of the woman across his jaw, the impact cause him to spin around once in the air before landing on his chest. The woman hesitated for a moment shooting a glance between the downed hero and Chloe before running to the edge of the Planet roof and leaping off.

Chloe hurried to the edge and was in time to see the woman swinging off on some kind of grapnel and disappearing behind the skyline. She turned around at the sound of a painful groan. "Are you okay Oliver?"

Oliver rubbed his jaw as he sat up. "Yeah, but I feel like I got hit by a truck. Where'd she go?"

"She jumped off the roof and swung away. You wouldn't happen to know who she is would you?"

"Never seen her before." He stood and straightned his jerkin.

"She's obviously some kind of metahuman; she screamed and dissolved your net."

"I was wondering how she got free." Oliver responded dryly

Chloe sighed. "Good news is we got the file, bad news-"

Oliver finished for her. "Bad news is someone knew we were coming for it."

"Are you thinking its Lex?"

Oliver nodded. "Who else could it be?"

She handed him the thumb drive. "I hope whatever's on here was worth it."

"Me too. Are you going to be alright?"

Chloe waved him off. "I'm used to this stuff, when you hang around guys like Clark having crazed meta-assassins and ninja ladies chase you down is just another Saturday night."

Oliver chuckled. "Well anyway good job Chloe. I couldn't have done it without you."

She shook her head. "Yeah you could've but you're welcome anyway, I'll catch you later Ollie." And with that she disappeared back into the Planet leaving Oliver to stare after her for a moment before moving to the edge of the Planet and shooting off his grapple before swinging back in the direction of his penthouse. He _had _been impressed with Chloe, maybe he could use someone like her in the League… but he pushed all that from his mind and focused on his upcoming date with Lois. He was a block from his house when he received a call; looking down at his gauntlet he saw it was Lois.

.Pushing a button on the gauntlet connected the call to the small headset his mask concealed. "Hey Lois."

"Hi Ollie, what are you doing?"

He was scaling the side of his penthouse and entering through the skylight, but of course he couldn't say that…yet. "Oh just getting ready for our date, you?"

"Hoo-boy I'm sorry to do this Ollie, especially on your first night back and everything but I'm chasing down a story, is it possible to get a rain check on our date?" He could hear the sincere regret in her voice.

"Sure, sure not a problem." With the amount of times he had had to cancel dates due to his…moonlighting he wasn't in a position to say much of anything. Of course that didn't mean he wasn't still disappointed.

"Thanks Ollie, you're my hero. I'll give you a call when I'm free."

If only she realized the irony in that last statement…"Alright, sounds good."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

"Bye."

He pressed the button again to end the call and sighed. Looked like it would be another lonely night for him, but he had the file from Lex to keep him occupied. It wasn't a substitute for having Lois's warm body to snuggle with but it gave him something to focus on, feeling slightly better he changed into civvies and got to work.

* * *

><p>The next day intrepid reporter and newest member to the Daily Planet staff Lois Lane stepped onto the elevator and pressed the 'B' button. On the way down the elevator stopped and the door opened. A brunette haired woman stepped onboard, Lois recognized her as Dinah Lance; Dinah worked for Galaxy Media's WGBS as a hard-nosed right-wing talk show host. They had encountered each other a few times when Lois had been working at the Metropolis Inquisitor; their relationship was prickly at best.<p>

Dinah looked Lois up and down and her face settled into a smirk. "What on Earth are you doing here Lane, dreaming of becoming a real journalist one day?"

Lois bristled. "I _am_ a real journalist; in fact I've been hired to work here for your information. Why are _you_ here, trying to sleep your way to another story?"

Dinah shook her head but didn't seem the least bit offended. "I'm here meeting with a friend, by the way I heard the Planet's fallen on hard times, must be true if they hired a rag journalist like you to represent them."

Before Lois could respond the elevator chimed and Dinah put on a simpering smile. "Well if you'll excuse me I actually have something _important_ to do." She walked out.

Lois scowled. "Bitch." She muttered under her breath as the elevator door shut closed.

By the time she had made it to the basement she was in a foul mood and stalked over to her desk shouldering past a bewildered Jimmy.

"What's got you so ticked off?"

Lois spun around to see Chloe looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She felt her anger abate slightly. "I just ran into Dinah Lance on my way down here and she just got under my skin that's all." She looked up at her cousin and noticed she had a large cut across her left cheek and her eyes widened as she reached up and turned Chloe's face to examine the gash closer. "What happened to you?"

Chloe gently pushed Lois off. "Nothing, it was an accident."

Lois looked around to make sure no one was in earshot and then lowered her voice. "Does it have to do with Clark, were you on a mission?"

"No, Clark had nothing to do with this."

"Nothing to do with what?"

Both women looked around and saw Clark standing by their desks. He was wearing a blue plaid shirt over a pair of dark denim jeans and was carrying two brown paper bags. That he had gotten so close to them without either of them noticing him wasn't surprising but it still took some getting used to.

"With that." Lois said gesturing at Chloe's face.

Clark examined Chloe for a moment and frowned at Lois. "You thought I did that?"

"No, I thought she was working with you and got that cut in the process."

Clark looked over at Chloe. "How _did_ you get that?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "It was an _accident_. What are you doing here?"

Clark lifted up the bags. "I brought you both lunch."

They both blinked.

Lois recovered first. "Wow thanks, what's the occasion Smallville?"

Clark shrugged. "Nothing, I heard you two complaining about the food around here and I had a little extra time so I thought I'd give you guys a home cooked meal."

"Thanks Clark that's sweet, uhm can I talk to you a minute?"

"Sure."

They left Lois to rifle through her bag.

Clark looked at her. "What's up?"

"I don't know if you know but Ollie's back in town."

"Yeah, I talked to him yesterday and he said he was gonna call Lois, so I think she knows. So why the secrecy?"

"Oliver had me doing some…off the clock work for him." She explained her encounter with the mysterious woman.

"Oh, so that's how you got that cut."

"Yeah but more importantly we got the file, you should go talk to Oliver about this, if Lex is acquiring metahumans again…"

"Yeah, I'll talk to him after my interview."

Chloe jerked in surprise. "Interview?"

Clark rubbed his arm sheepishly. "Yeah I applied for a job over at the Metropolis Star."

Chloe was surprised. "The Star? Why didn't you apply at the Planet instead?"

"The Planet is like the big leagues you know? I've got no articles to my name other than what I wrote at the Torch and a B.A. in Journalism, I'm not exactly what the Planet is looking for."

For all the things Clark could do Chloe was constantly baffled by his inability to perceive how special he was. "As your former editor I have to say you're an excellent writer Clark. With your talent if you wanted you could get on here no problem; if it doesn't work out with the Star maybe you should give the Planet a second look."

Clark looked embarrassed and Chloe changed the subject to something that had been on her mind recently. "I've been meaning to ask you is there any news on Lana?"

Clark shook his head ruefully. "Other than a few e-mails to tell me she's okay and to not go looking for her…nothing."

Chloe nodded somberly as they lapsed into silence in reflection about their old friend. After the moment went on for too long she shook Clark. You'd better get going; you don't want to be late. Good Luck."

He smiled. "Thanks, I'll see you later tonight."

Jimmy scowled having caught the tail end of the conversation. Clark turned around and bumped into him. "Sorry Jimmy."

"Clark." He hoped he sounded as tough and indifferent as he thought he did (he didn't).

Clark looked at him strangely before excusing himself.

Lois saw the whole exchange and tried not to roll her eyes. It was painfully obvious Jimmy was jealous of Clark, seeming to think that he had deigns on Chloe; of course that was absurd. If Chloe and Jimmy would both stop being so bullheaded she was sure that they could repair their relationship…then again with her track record regarding relationships she would be the last person to comment on anyone else's.

She was brought out of her speculation by the loud voice of Perry White the Planet's editor-in-chief. "Lane, Sullivan, Olsen, my office now!"

The Planet's editor was a no-nonsense man in his mid-forties, White had grown up in Metropolis and loved the city like the child he never had, he had started at the Planet as a beat reporter and had stayed on until he had become the head honcho. A few years ago he had given up his job thinking he had nothing left to contribute, but the Planet had called him back due to a management shakeup and like a moth to flame he had allowed himself to be pulled back in.

When he had returned through the large revolving doors he wasn't sure why he had left. As he took the familiar elevator ride, more of his previous doubts had fallen away. By the time he arrived in the news room he's knew he belonged here and would never it leave again.

The three youngsters arrived in his office and he took a moment to observe them with pride. Sullivan had been his last appointment before his premature retirement, she was smart as a whip and was an excellent writer, her main problem was her stories tended to lack a certain human element to them. He was sure she'd have it figured out soon and fulfill her potential.

Olsen had joined during a summer intern program as a photographer a few years ago and had remained onboard ever since. He had a natural eye and an attention to detail. Perry knew it was only a matter of time until Olsen caught his big break. Until then he'd pay his dues and be that much better for it.

Lane…Lane was the wildcard of the group. She had a tenacity that Chloe lacked and a spirit that would put most wild horses to shame. Her spelling was atrocious but she had the it…the X-factor. Perry had only seen a few reporters like Lane in his time, and they were some of the all-time greats; he could see many a Pulitzer's in her future. Even though it was early in her career and most people wouldn't have given a tabloid journalist like her a second glance, he had followed his gut and taken a chance on her.

He knew it was only a matter of time till it paid off

"Okay, I've heard rumors Oliver Queen has returned from an extended business trip and since no other news outlet has managed to get a scoop on what he's been up to…" he left the sentence hanging and handed an assignment slip to a flustered Lois

"I-I'll just be going now."

"Sullivan I want you and Olsen downtown, the mayor and police commissioner are giving a statements downtown about the recent crime wave, get an interview and pictures. Double-time." Perry knew that they had been dating and the relationship had gone sour, but that was the price one paid for dating in the work place, he knew the two of them worked well together and they'd just have to deal with the awkwardness.

Olsen hesitated. "Sure chief."

"Terrific." Chloe muttered darkly before they left Perry's office.

Dinah Lance watched both Jimmy and Chloe disappear into the elevator before stealthily making her way to Chloe's desk, the busy atmosphere of the news room ensured that no one paid her any attention. She slid open a drawer and to her surprise saw Chloe's cellphone.

_Sullivan, you're making this too easy._ The thought made her smile; she turned the device on and thumbed through the recent call history until she saw exactly what she was looking for a one hour call to Oliver Queen at the same time she had been at the Planet the other night. She turned the device off placed the cellphone back in its drawer and casually made her way out of the news room. She picked up her cellphone and dialed a special number. "Mr. Luthor, I tracked down Green Arrow and I'll be bringing him and your file to you shortly."

* * *

><p>Oliver leaned his head against his shower in frustration. He had spent most of the day attempting to crack the encryption on the pilfered file, he had succeeded but the file had been worthless; just a bunch of shipping invoices. Certainly nothing worth the trouble he and Chloe had gone through in obtaining it and nothing as damning as his source would have led him to believe. He wondered why Lex had went through the trouble of encrypting such a file but was interrupted by the bell at his door ringing.<p>

Frowning as he wasn't expecting any visitor's he got out of the shower he threw on some undershorts and a pair of pants and opened the door, to his surprise it was Lois.

She eyed him appreciatively and smiled playfully. "Hell of a way of greeting someone Ollie, If you think that glistening-muscle-answering the door in your bare chest routine was gonna work... you were dead on. I like the goatee by the way…very sexy."

He blinked.

"I know we haven't done this in a while but this is the part where you invite me in, remember?"

He shook his head. "Yes, of course come in, it's just I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Oh does a girl need an excuse to drop by and see her favorite billionaire?"

He shut the door. "Of course not, you know you're welcome here anytime."

She smiled crookedly. "Good answer, but it just so happens I do have a reason, my boss wants me to get an interview with the world famous Oliver Queen about his recent business trip and what he's been doing for the past three months…but that can wait."

She strode over to him stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the mouth. Although surprised, he quickly reciprocated. When they broke apart they were both flushed and breathing hard.

He laid his head against hers. "I've missed you Lois... more than you can possibly know."

She opened her mouth to say something, but Oliver's eyes caught a flash of movement and saw the blonde woman from the other night standing on his balcony, his eyes widened as she saw her open her mouth. The world seemed to slow down as he pushed Lois to the floor "Get down!"

The same high-pitched scream from the other night hit Oliver's eardrums before all the glass in his penthouse shattered, he clutched his ears in pain as his equilibrium was thrown out of balance before he collapsed, unconscious on the floor.

The screaming stopped and Lois looked up and saw that every piece of glass in the room was broken, as she looked for Oliver her eyes were drawn to what she had assumed had been a wall, but the thick opaque glass on it had shattered revealing a dozen bows of various styles and sizes, quivers full of arrows and a very familiar green costume.

Despite the situation she felt her eyes widen. "No way."

"Way." A voice behind her said. She turned around into a punch and fell to the floor; out cold.

When she awoke she found herself tied up; back to back with Oliver.

He felt her stirring. "Lois, are you okay?"

"What the hell happened?" She asked groggily

"We- I was attacked and-"

"Yeah I remember, but it seems _you_ didn't remember to tell me you're the freaking Green Arrow!"

He winced having expected this but he still thought this wasn't the best time for such a discussion he was about to say so when Lois interrupted him.

"Oh, nothing to say? Then let me ask you a question. In all those nights together, somewhere between brushing teeth and spooning in the sheets, you didn't think that it might be a good time to mention that you prowl the streets with green leather and a compound bow?"

"Well, I don't usually bring the compound bow and my costume is made out of Kevlar, not leather…"

Lois rolled her eyes even though Oliver couldn't see them. **"**Oh, so now he's a funny hero. I can't believe you didn't tell me that you were Green Arrow!"

"Hard to imagine why when you're taking it so well."

"Whoa... wait a second. I kissed Green Arrow last year when you were standing there with me in the alley!"

He winced again, he wasn't exactly proud of that moment. "Yeah! I remember that with precise detail!"

"So who did I kiss?"

Before Oliver could answer the woman clad in black stepped out of his bedroom, he caught a glance of her stashing the thumb drive into her hip mounted pouch before she stepped over to them.

Lois looked at her. "Who're you toots? Some ex-girlfriend with a leather fetish who found out his secret or something? Cause you better not think you-"

Lois was silenced into unconsciousness again by a hard punch.

Oliver was a little less abrasive than Lois. "Who are you and why are you doing this?

"I'm called the Black Canary. As for why…I'm making sure justice is being served. I know all about you Green Arrow, you and your band of terrorists, how you-"

He tried to interrupt her before she got going. "Listen lady I don't know what Lex has been telling you, but I'm no terrorist, I'm one of the good guys! I try and help people, Lex is the one running experiments on metahumans, I'm trying to free them."

"Shut up." She pulled out a cellphone and dialed a number. "Yes Mr. Luthor I have him, I'll deliver him once the transfer is complete…yes that was the amount we agreed upon… I'll see you then."

Oliver hung his head, this situation was fast going from bad to worse.

* * *

><p>Clark walked out of the Metropolis Star's large building and looked down at his watch, it was slightly after 2:00 and he was starting to feel hungry, the interview hadn't gone too well, he sincerely doubted he'd be hired by the Star anytime soon. The editor had been exceptionally rude and seemed to take issue with everything about Clark, from his being from Kansas to his going to Metropolis University as opposed to Metro College.<p>

Feeling slightly depressed he decided to drop by and see Oliver and maybe pick up a bite to eat. He ducked into an alley and using his sense's he made sure the area around him was clear before he ran off at super speed to Oliver's apartment. It only took him about thirty seconds to cross Metropolis and arrive at his destination. He knocked on the door and waited, he heard a strange noise so he trained his ears on the inside of Oliver's penthouse and realized it was muffled screaming. Not hesitating he pushed the door open, breaking the locks in the process and stepped over the threshold. The ground was covered with shards of broken glass and in the middle of the floor tied onto a water main was Lois. He easily broke the ropes and removed the gag before helping Lois stand up.

"Smallville, thank God you're here. Some psycho woman showed up here and attacked Oliver and I."

"Where is he?"

"I don't know, she knocked me out and when I came to they were both gone." She hesitated. "I think she wanted to capture him because…she found out… some kind of secret about him."

Clark was impressed that she was trying to find a way to tactfully not mention Oliver's dual identity outright. "Lois, it's okay I know."

She blinked. "_You_knew? And you didn't tell me either?"

He shrugged. "It wasn't for me to tell you, that's between you and Oliver. But now isn't the time for this, Lois I need you to think. Did she say anything that could give me a clue about who she was?"

Lois thought for a moment before she lit up. "Yeah after she hit me but right before I blacked out I heard her tell Ollie her name was Black Canary."

"Good we have a name, I need to see Chloe but I'm going to drop you off at the hospital and-

"Thanks but I'm fine Smallville, let's just hightail it back to the Planet. I could use a lift if you don't mind."

Clark wanted her to get checked out but he didn't have time for an argument. He strode over to her and easily picked her up in his arms. "Hold on." His form blurred and disappeared and a minute later reappeared in the basement of the Daily Planet.

Lois hopped down and readjusted her windswept hair. "Well that was fast, but I think I like flying a bit better."

"I think the sight of a guy flying around town with a reporter in his arms would draw a _little_ too much attention, don't you?"

"Yeah you're right."

She and Clark walked over to Chloe's desk and after a hasty explanation of the situation watched as she did her computer thing.

A few minutes later she beckoned them closer. "Look at this, it seems the Black Canary is a soldier of fortune and was hired by Lex four days ago." She pulled up some press reports of a metahuman with a sonic scream rescuing people in various cities from Gotham all the way to Star City. "These are all from a few years ago. I guess being a hero doesn't pay the bills…whoa!" She typed furiously for a moment. "Guys look at this."

It was a report of an incoming transfer of a significant amount of money from Luthor Corp into an off shore account.

Clark pointed at the screen. "Can you find out whom that account belongs to?"

"Yeah but it'll take a while. But we need to stop her now…I'm going to interrupt this transfer and try and draw her out. I mean without the money she has no reason to be going after Oliver right?"

Lois and Clark nodded and Chloe got to work.


	4. Justice League

In a warehouse on Metropolis's east side Black Canary was observing a computer screen keenly, waiting for her money to be transferred so she could complete this job. Her prisoner (part of her winced at that thought) had tried to convince her that she had been working on the wrong side with Lex, he had challenged her to find out for herself but he had fallen silent in the last hour; probably due in part to her perceived indifference. But she wasn't indifferent, she _had_ been listening to Queen and the more she heard the more disturbed she became. She had known about Luthor's…checkered past but she believed everybody deserved justice; it had been one of her guiding principles when she had taken the mantle of Black Canary nearly a decade ago.

Oliver Queen certainly didn't fit the descriptions of the terrorist Lex had painted him to be and something about him made her want to trust him…she quickly discarded the thought and decided the quicker she got her money the better off she would be, if she was doubting her client maybe she wasn't as cut out for this job as she thought.

She looked back at the screen and saw a message that the transaction was in progress, it reached fifty percent before it stopped. Black Canary frowned at the screen and her eyes widened at the message that had superimposed itself on her screen.

_I know your secret Dinah and if you don't want me to revel it to the world, meet me on the roof of the Daily Planet to discuss your release of Green Arrow. _

She read it and in anger shoved the monitor off the table. Breathing hard for a minute she straightened up and stalked out of the room, leaving a bewildered Oliver in her wake.

Twenty minutes later she had rappelled her way to the designated meeting area. She had expected to see Sullivan again but to her surprise she saw a tall and exceptionally handsome young man who looked like he was about five or so years younger than her dressed in a blue shirt and red jacket.

He seemed at ease and made no movement as she stood in front of him. He raised his hands non threatingly. "Hold on a second before you attack, I just want to talk."

Dinah who had been edging her hand to her pouch of throwing knives hesitated, his voice was deep and pleseant and despite herself she felt her guard go down slightly.

For his part Clark wasn't too happy having to have to resort to blackmail to talk to Black Canary; that had been Chloe's idea. When he had suggested they just ask for a meeting instead of threatening her identity she had given him one of those pitying looks she always got when she thought he was being naïve. Against his better judgement he had gone along with her plan, but as he feared the Canary showed up and she didn't look in any mood to chat with him.

"You're the one who found out about my identity?"

Clark nodded.

She was relieved he was alone; it would make what she had to do easier. "Who are you?"

"I'm Clark, Clark Kent and you have to listen to me. The man you working for isn't the altruistic man he's pretending to be. Whatever Lex told you to get you to work for him it's a lie. Green Arrow is a hero though, if you hand him over to Lex, he won't do the right thing, he'll have him killed. I know that you used to be a hero; you're one of the good guys do you want an innocent man's blood on your hands?"

His earnest tone made her hesitate for a second, he seemed genuine much like Queen… but he had also threatened to reveal her identity.

"I'm sorry Clark but I'm supposed to trust you after you threatened me? Let me guess you're one of Queen's band of terrorists. I'm sorry but I'm not releasing your fearless leader and since you know my secret I can't let you leave here!" While she had been speaking she had reached down and grabbed a dagger and when she finished she threw it at him.

Clark easily spotted the blade coming and deftly raised his hand and plucked it out of mid-air. He tossed the knife point down into the roof; it landed in front of her feet and buried itself nearly half an inch deep into the tar and gravel.

Beneath her mask Canary's eyes widened. _How the hell did he do that?_ She was surprised but not undaunted, gathering up her speed she ran at him and leapt up into a vicious flying kick.

Unfortunately the kick had about as much effect as her dagger had, namely to say none. She flew back and landed on her rear end hard. But she still had one weapon left; she opened her mouth and inhaled.

But she never got a chance to release her Canary Cry.

Before she knew how it happened Clark who had stood by passively so far had somehow crossed the distance of the roof and had his hand clamped tightly on her mouth preventing her scream from issuing out.

"Look Dinah, I don't want to fight I just want to talk, I 'm sorry about threatening your identity. It seemed like the only way to draw you out… looking back it probably wasn't the smartest idea. I'm going to let you go, if you want to hear the truth about Lex, listen to me. Otherwise you can attack me with your scream and I won't be able to stop you."

He released her and stepped back.

She looked up at him, surprised he had relinquished what had clearly been an advantageous position; he had had her cold.

Definitely not something the evil terrorist she had been told would do.

Instead of following what the job dictated she was going to follow her instincts for a change. "Let's hear what you have to say."

* * *

><p>Oliver had tried to break free of the handcuffs Black Canary had left him in but he was stuck. It seemed like Lex had him and would soon find out who had been shutting down his projects, Oliver imagined that encounter wouldn't be particularly pretty.<p>

As he tried in vain to escape, he had to admit Lex had hired himself a hell of an enforcer.

He wasn't shocked when she re-appeared two hours later but he was surprised by who was accompanying her; it was Clark and Chloe.

"What the-"

"We had a little talk with Canary and after she did some digging we convinced her that Lex wasn't the altruist he was putting on." Chloe said by way of explanation.

Canary released his handcuffs and stepped back sheepishly. "I told Lex you escaped my custody and then I quit the job, I'm sorry about the mix up and what happened at your apartment." She reached up and pulled off her mask. "My name is Dinah Lance, and-

Oliver interrupted her. "It's fine Dinah, it seems every time we run into one of the good guys we always end up beating the snot out of each other before we realize we're all on the same side."

Dinah turned to Chloe and Clark. "Guess I need to eat a little crow with you two also; is it too late to ask for an apology?

Chloe smiled. "Apology accepted, as long as you don't jump me again."

Dinah shook her head. "That won't be a problem; I've decided to hang up my fishnets. I think I was a little out of my league; I'll just stick to my talk show. At least I can't hurt anyone over the airwaves."

Oliver looked at her. "Well as long as you're not using that sonic scream of yours… still, I gotta say umm... it kinda seems like a waste."

Clark nodded. "I agree, there's a lot of good people like us can do with our powers."

Oliver grinned. "I'm kind of bulding a team of heroes and I think you'd be great for it, what d'ya say?"

Dinah looked at her feet. "I don't know… I'm really not much of a team player."

Oliver laughed. "Neither is half of the roster, you'd fit right in." He seemed to mull something over for a moment. "Before you decide anything how about you meet me in a couple of days, in fact I'd like all three of you to come, I'll text you guys the info. Later." Hey ran out the room.

Dinah turned to the other two "What was that about?"

But neither of them had any idea.

* * *

><p>Three days later Clark, Chloe and Dinah (in her wig) showed up in front of a large abandoned building on Metropolis's west side around mid-morning.<p>

"I take it you both got Oliver's message as well." Dinah said by way of greeting.

Chloe nodded bleary eyed and took a sip of coffee. "Yeah, it's Saturday and I should still be sleeping. Whatever Oliver's cooking up I hope it's w-worth it." She tried to suppress a yawn and only marginally succeeded. "How's it you super-types can be so fresh this early in the morning?" She asked.

Clark grinned, he only needed two or three hours sleep and he was completely refreshed. "Good genes…I don't think we'll have to wait to find out what's going on much longer."

The front door to the building slid open and Oliver who was dressed in a t-shirt and baggy jeans stepped out onto the sidewalk, he waved at the three of them and beckoned them over excitedly. "Come on in guys."

They all walked in to see a large waiting room, the floor was littered with large crates and dozens of boxes. "Sorry about the mess but we've been really busy getting everything into place."

"Oliver what's going on and who's '_we'_?" Clark asked

"You'll see in a minute." The excitement in his voice was evident as he led them to an elevator. A short while later they stepped out on the top floor of the building. He led them around a corner to what looked like had been a large conference room; sitting in the room were several people whom Clark and Chloe hadn't seen in a long time.

Victor Stone was the first one to notice them there. "Clark, Chloe! How are you guys doing?"

That got the attention of the others and they all made their way over to the trio and after a long series of hellos and introductions everyone settled down.

Clark thought he knew what Oliver had planned and a quick glance at the expression on Chloe's face showed she was thinking the same thing.

Oliver clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. "Clark, Dinah, Chloe… I'd like to welcome you to the Watchtower. I got to thinking the other day, if we're going to be on a team we'll need a place we can all meet, a safe house for us all. I did a little poking around and I purchased this building and had a ton of equipment overnighted here, I thought this could be our base of operations. I know I've been really pushing this idea of a… super team and I think we can really get this thing going. We've all met and most of us have worked with each other on some basis and I figured this was as good a time as any."

"Er, why am I here?" Chloe looked around the room. "I can understand the rest of you, but at best I'm Clark's techie."

Clark opened his mouth to correct her but surprisingly Bart beat him to it. "Don't sell yourself short; you're way more than that Chloe."

Oliver nodded. "Chloe you're directly responsible for saving countless people's lives, mine included; you're just as much a hero as any of us. Which brings me to my next point; I want to nominate you…all of you for membership on the team."

"Second." Arthur said raising his hand, after that it was a formality and the measure passed unanimously.

"So what do you all have to say, are you guys in?" Bart asked excitedly.

Dinah nodded her head, she seemed to be genuinely touched and excited. "I'm in."

Clark smiled. "Me too. I think Oliver would've hunted me down if I refused a third time."

Chloe looked around at everyone before sighing dramatically. "Although I don't know what use I'll be, you all are showing a lot of confidence in me so the least I could do is give it a try."

Dinah raised her hand and Oliver gestured for her to speak. "What's the name for our group of merry men?"

Oliver looked around sheepishly. "Err…we really don't have a name…we've just kind of been going as the league."

Dinah shook her head. "That's lame, if we're going to do this thing let's at least do it properly. How about the Justice League? I think it's safe to say we're all fighting for justice and it something we can all strive for."

J'onn nodded his head in agreement.

Oliver put the motion to a vote, everyone agreed except Bart. ("Aww c'mon guys I was thinking of something with some more flair, like The Avengers or maybe The Legion Of Super Heroes.")

The newly titled Justice League proceeded to have its first meeting where a chairman,(Ollie) field commander (Dinah) and base coordinator (Chloe) were appointed.

"Is there any other business?"

A pretty dark haired young woman whom had been identified earlier as Zatanna raised her hand. "My business is with Clark and Chloe…from what I'm told you two need costumes."

"And codenames." Victor added.

"Is this all really necessary?" Clark asked

Oliver nodded his head. "Of course it is, we're heroes; we fight to protect and inspire people. It's part of the job description Kent, so get a costume. As for codenames, I assume you don't want people to be all like 'Look up in the sky…it's a bird…no it's the Red-Blue Blur' do you?"

The others laughed and Clark had to admit Oliver had a point.

"Not when you put it like that…"

But Oliver wasn't done yet. "And what are you going to do when one day you come across a crisis where you can't zoom in, knock some bad guys out and zoom away?"

"I-I hadn't thought of that."

"All the more reason you need to come up with a costume and a codename, the sooner the better." He looked at the group at large this time. "Before you all go I want to give you all something." He went over to a small box and placed it on the table before opening it.

Inside were nine flesh colored ear-buds that he passed around. "These are our communicators, tap it once to open a channel tap it twice to close it. These are our lifelines outside of here so wear them at all times; they have built in tracking devices so as long as you have these we'll be able to find you anywhere on the planet. If there's nothing else….then I hereby call the first meeting of the Justice League adjourned."

Clark excused himself from the group as soon as he could, while he was grateful and excited to be working with the Justice League but part of him was still uncomfortable with the idea of having to preform heroic acts in public, he had worked in and preferred the shadows for so long, how was he supposed to operate openly and maintain some semblance of a normal life?

He didn't see how, maybe working with the League was a mistake. With that thought to depress him, he walked out of Watchtower and went for a walk.

He hadn't gone more than two miles when he heard a woman screaming for help. He automatically switched modes and used his sense's to pinpoint her location, moving at super speed gave him enough time to see a man who had the woman's purse, frozen between the seconds as he ran away. In the blink of an eye Clark had retrieved the woman's purse and knocked the mugger unconscious, all the people had seen was a blur of speed followed by a gust of wind.

He came back into normal speed in an alley across the street, and could hear the woman's surprise and elation. "Oh my God, that was the Red-Blue Blur who got my purse back! Thank you Blur, thank you!" The crowd surrounding her took up a cheer, even as someone called the police.

Clark smiled but even as he did, he could almost hear Oliver's question ringing in his ear. _What are you going to do when one day you come across a crisis where you can't zoom in, knock some bad guys out and zoom away?_

He still didn't have an answer, but he knew someone who might be able to help him.

* * *

><p>Lex sat in his office in Luthorcorp towers. The Black Canary had failed him, something about her had changed in the last time they talked, he didn't know how but he knew that Green Arrow had somehow managed to get to her.<p>

Green Arrow! It all seemed to be coming back to the damn Green Arrow, first his 33.1 faclities and now this. He would find out who the Arrow was and make him regret ever crossing Lex Luthor. He knew from a group of computer techs he had hired that the Green Arrow and his accomplice had accessed his files from the Daily Planet. The accomplice had managed to obscure enough of their footprints to make it impossible to narrow the list of suspects any further, which was fine; it was a starting place and in time he knew he'd find out who it had been. Then there was the matter of the informant who had clued Green Arrow in the first place.

The Green Arrow had declared war on him and had taken the first two round's… Lex fully intended to take the next one.

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading, hope y'all enjoyed and I'll see you next week!<p> 


	5. Hiding in Plain Sight

**Intro: Hey everyone welcome back. Some quick news I'll be departing on a trip to Mexico tomorrow and I'll be gone for a week, so I might miss next week's update. I'll try my best to get some writing done, but I can't promise anything. If I miss next Friday be assured I'll be back on schedule the following week.**

**Thanks: I'd like to thank all those who read and/or favorite this story. An extra special thanks goes out to unoaranya30, whatweareafraidof, Wondiebuff, ben10987654321 and Hellacre13 for taking time to write reviews.**

**ben10987654321: Lex is always scheming something…and it's rarely anything good.**

**Wondiebuff & Hellacre13: I think after five chapters I've built up the story enough to introduce the other main character of this story****.**** Hope you both enjoy chapter 6.**

**Disclaimer: The characters and the franchise all belong to D.C/Warner Bros, no infringement is implied.**

* * *

><p>"I agree with him one hundred percent Clark. Heroes are meant to inspire people, and you can't do that when no one can see you."<p>

It was a little over a week later, Clark and his mother were seated at the kitchen table in the Kent Farm and just like she had his entire life whenever he needed it, she was giving him some practical advice. The Senate wasn't in session and she had come home for the weekend to check in and see how Clark was doing. He had told her about the formation of the Justice League and how Oliver had told him that he needed to become a more public figure and to his surprise she agreed with him.

"If your father were here he'd say the same thing, he always said how you were destined for great things, how you were meant to help people and I know he'd want you to embrace your potential and achieve everything your capable of."

"Mom I do want to help people, I'm just not sure how I can help people as a hero and live a normal life as Clark Kent. I can't see myself putting on a mask and going out to save lives, if I'm doing that I might as well be rescuing people from the shadows."

"Then maybe you shouldn't wear a mask honey."

Clark sighed. "That puts me right back where I started from, how am I supposed to separate the hero from the man?

Martha thought hard for a few minutes before it came to her. "If you can't use a mask as the hero then the solution should be using the man as the mask."

Clark looked at her bewildered, but she was on a roll now and she got up and rummaged through a drawer for a moment before retrieving a pair of glasses. "These belonged to your grandfather, try them on."

Clark hesitated but humored his mother and slipped the glasses on, his mother observed him for a moment. "Hmm not quite, come here." She reached up and pushed his hair back. "We're getting closer but…something's missing. Take a look at yourself in the mirror honey and let me think for a moment."

Clark walked over to the mirror and was shocked, the glasses muted the deep blues of his eyes to a near grey and his hair looked at least ten years out of date. Clark wasn't a trendy person but at that moment he felt like such a…dork. He slouched over and turned around to see his mother looking at him oddly.

"What?"

"That's it, that's what's missing. Clark, hunch your shoulders like you were a second ago."

He tried to do it again without success; Martha walked over and after messing with his posture for a few minutes pronounced that she was satisfied.

"You look so meek Clark; I don't think you have to worry too much about someone thinking you're a superhero."

Clark had to admit she had a point; he looked more like someone who was liable to be mugged as opposed to someone who could lift a city bus with one hand.

"Now as for a costume, ever since I saw Green Arrow on television last year I've had a costume design in my mind if you're okay with it I'd like to start working on it."

"You've thought about this before, how did you know that I'd want to do this?"

She smiled. "It's a mother's job to know her children Clark. I think I can have it ready for you in a couple of weeks, in the meantime I think you should start going out dressed like that, try and draw attention away from yourself and get people used to seeing you like that."

"How do I explain the glasses?"

"You could say you've been wearing contacts your whole life but got tired of the hassle or something."

Clark hugged his mother. "Thanks Mom, I know you're busy with your work at the Senate and I really appreciate you helping me out."

She returned his hug with interest. "Oh Clark I'll never be too busy to help out my son. Now what would you like for lunch?"

* * *

><p>Lois was at her desk attempting to proofread and put the finishing touches on an article and cursing under her breath because the spellcheck wasn't working properly. Lois was in a foul mood, after the incident with the Black Canary she and Oliver had only spoken once; he had called to check if she was alright and to apologize for putting her in danger.<p>

That had been over a week ago.

Lois didn't know where they stood at the moment and while she desperately wanted to clear the air with Ollie, she'd be damned if she went to him first. As far as she was concerned he had been in the wrong.

"If you hit those keys any harder cuz, you might end up breaking a finger."

"What's up Chloe?" Lois asked wearily, although a moment ago she had been all keyed up it seemed all the energy drained out of her.

"Well I know you've been kind of bummed out about Ollie and everything so I was thinking maybe we can-

"Sullivan, my office now!" Perry roared over the din of the news room.

"Whoops looks like duty calls, but I was gonna say maybe we can meet up for lunch later and just have some girl time?"

"I'll think about it." Lois deflected.

Chloe smiled assuredly and walked over to Perry's office and Lois got back to her story, but before she could get back into the groove…

"Excuse me miss, but are you Lois Lane?"

Lois looked up irritably and turned around, a tall smartly dressed bespectacled man stood nervously at her desk.

Lois tried to bite down her rude reaction to being interrupted. "Yes I am; can I help you?"

"You don't recognize me?"

Lois sized him up. "No, should I?"

He reached up and removed his glasses and seemed to stand taller. "How about now?" he asked with a grin and a noticeably deeper voice.

Instantly she knew who it was and her early ire evaporated. "Smallville- how the hell…"

For the first time since he had met her, Lois was at a loss for words.

"Pretty good huh?" he asked replacing the glasses and assuming his former demeanor.

"I'll say, why are you dressed up like something out of Geek Weekly?"

"It's part of- oh hold on a second; here comes Chloe…act natural."

As Chloe walked over Lois let out a fake laugh, like she had heard the punch line to an amusing joke.

"What's so funny Lois?" Chloe asked casting a curious glance over her cousin and the tall stranger standing next to her desk.

Lois grinned at Chloe. "I just heard a funny joke from Mister…what was your name again?"

"Kent, Clark Kent."

Chloe did a double take. "Clark?"

"Yep it's me Chloe, what do you think?"

"I didn't recognize you at all…how did you do that?" Now that she knew it was Clark she could see subtle signs of her friend but there was no denying he had caught her completely off guard. She was having a hard time equating the Clark she had grown up alongside with the individual standing before her.

He told them about his discussion with his mother and her suggestion to use Clark Kent as his mask.

Chloe shook her head in disbelief. "Your mom was right, I've known you most of my life and I didn't recognize you."

"That's an understatement; unless super-hypnotism is one of your abilities Smallville."

Clark looked disbelieving. "Super hypnotism, really?"

Chloe choked back a snicker. "Well other than proving you're a master of disguise, what're you doing here Clark?"

He shrugged and pushed the glasses up his nose with his index finger, a gesture that looked so natural one would assume he had been doing it all his life. "Well, I figured if I can fool the two people closest to me, the disguise is pretty good… that and I have an interview with Mr. White."

Chloe grinned smugly. "You decided to take my advice huh?"

He shrugged sheepishly; again the gesture fit his current appearance to a tee. "I'm kind of running out of options at this point. I've tried the Star, Inquisitor, Gazette and Metro Times. It seems no one is looking to hire."

Lois patted his arm reassuringly. "Don't worry Clark, I'm sure you'll get on, Perry's fair. If you have any talent, he'll give you a chance to prove yourself. He hired me and up to that point I'd built my career on reporting for rags."

"Thanks guys I'd better go and check in with the secretary, I'll see you later." He walked off and stumbled into a chair knocking it over; he picked it up and apologized sheepishly. He sat and waited, nearly twenty minutes later Perry stuck his head out and beckoned Clark over to his office.

Clark walked in and was immediately assaulted by a thick cloud of cigar smoke. Of course the smoke didn't bother him, but for appearances sake he faked a coughing fit.

"Pardon me." He walked over and opened a window. "Nasty habit, I haven't managed to kick it after fifteen years of trying. Never start smoking Kent."

"No sir."

Perry shot an odd look at him. "Did you always have those glasses?"

"Err… They're fairly recent; I got tired of hassling with contacts, sir."

Perry didn't seem to be listening and sat down. "Now I've been going over your resume Kent and I've seen some of your work from back when you were in high school. You're a good writer, but I interview dozens of good writers every week, what makes you different? Why should I hire you?"

Clark paused and gave the question serious thought before deciding to answer truthfully (mostly). "Well sir, I believe wholeheartedly in the power to inspire people, to affect positive change in people. It's no secret that the Daily Planet is one of the largest and most trusted publications in Metropolis and the ability to reach so many people means that this publication has the power to affect people's lives by bringing attention to issues and ideas people would not be normally aware of. That's what I want to do and that's why you should hire me, I want to help people be aware of the world around them and that they have the ability to positively change it just as much as Green Arrow or The Red-Blue Blur."

Perry stared at Clark hard for a moment before relenting and nodding his head. "You remind me of a young me Kent; wide-eyed and determined to help save the world. I'll tell you what, I'll give you a week to bring me an article that shows me the type of man you are; the type of reporter you want to be. If you impress me, you get the job…sound fair?"

"Very fair sir."

They stood and shook hands and Perry dismissed him shortly thereafter.

Lois was still messing with her article by the time Clark got back, Chloe had disappeared for a lunch date with Jimmy (it seemed their relationship was on the rebound) after Lois had declined to go with her. "How'd it go Smallville?"

He filled her in on what had gone on.

"See? I knew you'd do great. Any Idea what you're gonna write about?"

"Something about Human Interest, I'm thinking of trying the local soup kitchens."

Human interest was a little out of Lois' particular field of expertise but it sounded like a solid plan and told him so.

After pointing out a few spelling errors on her paper he got up and walked to the elevators disappearing into a crowd of people.

She watched him, somehow knowing that he was going to come back with something golden; it was just how Clark worked.

"Give 'em hell Smallville." She muttered before belatedly realizing that he could probably hear her. Flushing deeply she went back to her article.

* * *

><p><strong>A Real Life Hero; Bibbo Bibbowski<strong>

By: Clark Kent

_You won't turn on the news and find stories of Mr. Bibbowski saving Metropolis from bank robbers or nuclear meltdowns. But in his own way Mr. Bibbowski is just as much a hero as the brightly colored mystery men and women who've appeared in our fair city as of late._

_Bibbowski(52)a lifetime resident of Hob's Bay (more popularly known as Suicide Slum) was the recent recipient of a lottery ticket worth ten million dollars. Unlike many people who would see such a windfall as a ticket to escape the depressed area of Hob's Bay, Mr. Bibbowski has used his winnings to give back to the area he had grown up in._

"_The way I figure it, if I didn't have a few good breaks in life I'd have ended up dead a long time ago. What kind of guy would I be if I didn't help others now that I've got the chance?"_

_Bibbowski has thus far saved an Orphanage from closing due to budget cuts, restored a local tavern and hired over a dozen homeless men and women and donated ten thousand dollar' to the local mission. _

_ (Continued on page 15)_

It was three days later and Clark had come through with flying color's landing a spot on page six and more importantly a job at the Planet.

Jimmy, Chloe Lois and Clark were out celebrating at a local watering hole. Jimmy who had recently become less cold to Clark was trying to get his friend to loosen up and have a drink.

"Come on CK, don't be such a stiff. Have one beer."

Clark who was resisting for appearances sake (alcohol didn't affect him) rolled his eyes and accepted the beverage.

"Thata boy, I propose a toast…to Clark Kent, one helluva guy!"

Lois and Jimmy who were both quite tipsy from the evening clinked bottles together sloppily. Chloe on the other hand who had only enjoyed a single Cosmopolitan rolled her eyes at Clark who smiled back at her.

The mellow mood was broken by a subtle vibration inside Clark and Chloe's ears; their Justice League communicators. True to Oliver's suggestion they had both kept the earpieces on them at all times, fortunately up until this point they hadn't had to use them; it had been a quiet few weeks in the city.

It seemed the respite was over.

Quickly shooting glances at each other they made excuses (mainly for Jimmy's sake) and quietly slipped out the back entrance of the establishment.

Almost in sync they reached up and gently tapped their earpieces. _J'onn's _voice issued in clearly.

"_Clark, Chloe we have a situation, I received a report that a subway has de-railed downtown, I need you two to get down there and see what you can do."_

"We're on it _J'onn_."

Clark looked over at Chloe in time to see her shimmying out of her cargo pants and pulling a hooded cowl over the top half of her face.

Clark looked at his longtime friend in surprise. Underneath her street clothes it seemed Chloe was wearing her uniform; It was a modified white bodysuit with red inlays that ran the length of her arms and down the sides of the suit, a small black belt adorned her waist, over her left breast was a stylized E. "What do you think?" she asked nervously.

"Wow." He said truthfully. She looked every part the superhero "What's the E stand for?"

"Empath…as in Empathic healer, I know its lame but Zatanna thought it fit and I couldn't think of anything better." She finished with a shrug. "What about you, I can't wait to see what you've got."

He avoided her eyes. "I've got nothing…uhh…my uniform isn't ready yet."

Chloe shook her head. "Well that's just perfect, what're you going to do? You can't reveal yourself in public."

Oliver's question about him using his speed as a means of concealment taunted him from the back of his mind.

Knowing that lives were at stake Clark quickly removed his glasses jacket and tie, hating that he had to Clark tore his tie down the middle and his jacket in fourths. He then made a sort of turban and used half his tie to secure it to his head, with another part of jacket made a bandana. He looked at Chloe for approval and saw that she seemed to be trying not to laugh. "Well I can honestly say no one will recognize you. Let's get going."

He wrapped an arm around Chloe's waist and launched himself skyward, less than two minutes later they were downtown. Fire and rescue crews were still blocks away but a crowd of late night commuters had gathered and were taking pictures with their cellphone cameras.

Feeling fortunate it was an open air platform Clark landed with Chloe, instantly dozens of people attention was rooted on them.

Feeling suddenly self-conscious Chloe began speaking in a loud clear voice. "Folk's I'm gonna need you all to step back, I'm Empath and this is… uh Bandana Boy, we're here to help but we need space, paramedics and firefighters will be here soon, so give us some space to work."

The crowd which had sniggered at Chloe's impromptu name for Clark also stepped back when instructed to do so; it seemed she was a natural at this sort of thing.

Thanks to the lateness of the hour the train was only three cars and wasn't filled to capacity as was normal during peak hours.

Bandanna Boy and Empath wasted no time, Bandanna Boy used his strength to open the trains door's and the two of them had proceeded to help the shaken but mostly uninjured passengers and conductor's from the train. They worked quickly and with the ease of two people who had known and trusted each other for most of their lives. Empath took care of keeping people calm and Bandanna Boy preformed the heavy lifting. By the time the rescue crews arrived the train had been evacuated and replaced on the track's and the two mysterious hero's had disappeared.

Thus that night the legend of Empath and Bandanna Boy was born.

* * *

><p>"Bandanna Boy, honestly Clark what <em>were<em> you thinking?" Martha asked putting the finishing touches on his costume.

Clark sighed, he had already had to deal with this from the entire league and Lois, and now it seemed his mom was joining in on it too. "It was in the heat of the moment Mom; I made the best of what I had available and if you'll remember _I_ never actually called myself that, Chloe did."

Martha had seen the video which was making its round on the internet and after recovering from the shock of seeing Clark caught on tape, she had found the whole thing rather amusing.

"Here you go sweetie, try it on."

Clark took the uniform and disappeared for a few moments before returning and looked himself over in the mirror, he turned around and smiled.

The uniform consisted of a long sleeved dark blue shirt with a large yellow pentagonal shield with the red crest for the family El on it. She had decided on that to emphasize Clark's alien heritage to the public and to further distance's himself from his alter ego. Next was a pair of red trunks that were worn over a pair of dark blue pants, a yellow belt with a miniature family crest as the buckle held them up. The pants tucked into a pair of calf high thick soled red boots. The ensemble was complete with a long flowing scarlet cape, on which another crest of the family El adorned, this one was pure gold.

"I made it extra snug, because it'll show off your muscles and I noticed that when you were younger and used to wear tighter clothes they never seemed to tear or get dirty, although I'm a little worried about the cape tearing."

He strode over to her and gave her a hug, and even though she knew it was Clark, he seemed so much more bold and regal in his uniform; he seemed like a whole different person. "I'll be extra careful with it mom, It's absolutely perfect." A shadow fell across his face. "I just wish dad was here to see this."

Martha's eyes shone brightly with unshed tears. "Clark, never doubt that you father would be proud of the man you've become. And if he we're here he'd tell you that himself."

As he lay awake that night Martha's words echoed in his head, knowing that there was only one way he'd be getting peace that night he slipped on his costume and after checking that the coast was clear flew out of his bedroom window and to the Smallville Cemetery.

Silent as a ghost he landed in front of his father's tombstone. For so long he had blamed himself for his father's death but over the last year he had found a measure of peace. In a struggle involved trying to save Lana's life Clark had injected himself with a dangerous drug; it had stopped his heart and he had crossed over to the other side and met his father who had told him how proud he was of him.

"_You are going to touch the lives of so many people. Not just as a man, but as a symbol. You're a symbol of peace. You're a symbol of justice. I'm proud of you son."_

Whether it had actually happened or was just a hallucination of the drug, he didn't know but it had helped him make peace with some of his demons.

"Dad…I used to hear you say how I was destined for great things and I didn't get it." He chuckled. "I didn't want to do great things….I wanted to be normal. But I'm not normal, I can do so many amazing things and I believe you were right dad; one man can make a difference. For so long I fought what I was… who I was, but you saw it didn't you? Well I'm not running and I'm not fighting it anymore I've accepted myself and I want you to know I'm going to do my best…give it my all and try and become the man you knew I could be. I'm going to try and make you proud dad."

He bowed his head and gently touched the tombstone one last time before he lifted up into the air and was swallowed up by the inky black night.

* * *

><p>AN: Clark's article looked a lot better on but FF messed with my fonts & spacing so apologies that it came out messy.


	6. The New Champion

**Quick Notes:**

**1.) I don't know how many of you are familiar with ancient Greek weaponry so I decided to include this brief explanation. If you have knowledge of ancient Greek weapons I beg your patience and forgiveness for restating something you already know.**

**-A xiphos is a short sword of flared/wedged design approx. 24 inches in length.**

**-A dory is a heavy infantry spear that ranged between six to nine feet in length. It is notable for not only its length but its blade shaped counterweight.**

**-Both were standard equipment to the Spartan Armies.**

**2.)Okay on to the big bomb… I am using the (as of WW#600) current wonder woman costume minus the jacket.**

**Now before y'all flame me I did this for two reasons:**

**-I like the new costume…mostly. **

**-If Diana had ever appeared on Smallville I'd expect her costume to look akin to this.**

* * *

><p>On the sun kissed sands of Themyscira Diana the eternal princess of the Amazons lounged with her two closest friends. To her right lay Mercy, her short golden trusses seemed to fan out around her head as she took the moment to enjoy the sun. To Diana's left exuding a casual grace that would put any large cat to shame and perched on a large rock was Artemis, her waist length red hair shimmered in the sunlight.<p>

The three friends had been discussing what seemed to be the only topic of interest among anyone on the island these days; the upcoming tournament to crown the new champion of the Amazon's. Hermes had appeared before Queen Hippolyta a number of weeks ago and had told her that the world was once again in need of the Amazonian teachings and wisdom lest it continue its march towards destruction. So the five patron goddess's of Themyscira with Zeus's blessing had decreed a champion was to be selected and go forth into the world.

"I wonder what the challenges will be." Mercy said picking up a seashell and examining it idly.

"You're both too young to remember, but the last tournament required the use of all the skills it means to be an Amazon, I imagine the next one will be a similar affair." Artemis responded lightly, she had been the winner of the last contest an event that had occurred nearly a thousand years ago, although in the scope of an immortal Amazon's lifespan a millennium was hardly a significant amount of time.

"What was it like living among _them?" _Diana asked.

Artemis seemed to pause and give the question consideration. "Dirty. Men are primitive creatures' princess. Foul mouthed, barbaric dirty creatures."

Mercy shuddered. "Then why must we venture into their world?"

"The gods have decreed it." Artemis responded simply.

"I wonder if the world has changed since you last visited it." Diana said.

Artemis shrugged. "It matters little, the kingdoms may have changed, there may be more people but the nature of man has not changed. I doubt it ever will, know this to be true sister."

She didn't know why but the statement bothered Diana.

Mercy assumed a sitting posture. "Do you intend to enter the tournament Artemis? Surely you could reclaim the mantle of champion with ease."

Artemis shook her head. "Nay, I already bear the title of Shim'Tar for my people and have no interest in retaking the mantle. My role is to guide the next champion in the ways of the world; I will accompany her during her journey into the world of man."

"And a most interesting journey it will be if great Artemis of Bana-Mighdall is to accompany our champion!" Diana replied sardonically.

Artemis whipped her head around and scowled as the other two broke into laughter, a moment later she smiled and joined in with them.

As they settled down Artemis looked over at them. "What of you two? You will be entering the tournament I assume."

Mercy nodded her head eagerly. "I am anxious to test my mettle against my sisters."

"You are always looking for an excuse to 'test your mettle' Mercy." Diana said chidingly.

Mercy pushed Diana playfully. "And what of you Princess, what is your reason for wanting to enter the tournament?"

Diana looked out across the ocean. "I want a chance to explore the world beyond these shores; I have spent my entire life on Themyscira in that time I have heard the tales of my sisters pilgramiges to the Patriarch world. I have seen with my own eyes the small contingent of our sisters my mother sends to explore the changes in the world every century and despite my asking half a dozen times to accompany the group my mother denies me every time. I fear if I do not enter the tournament I will never have a chance to see the world beyond Themyscira."

"There is more to being champion than merely exploring the world." Artemis warned.

Diana sighed. "I know the responsibilities and if I win, I am willing to fulfill them."

Mercy looked surprised. "Given how…protective the Queen is of you I did not think she would readily allow you entrance into the tournament."

Diana scowled; her mother's protective streak was legendary. "She has no say in the matter. The gods have decreed _all_ Amazon's may enter the tournament. I have had words with her on this subject and while she seeks to protect me as if I am a newborn babe she has relented and given me her blessing."

Artemis nodded in apparent satisfaction. "Then I expect to see you both in the finales, I say in no jest that you two are two of the finest warriors on the island even among the Bana. It would be of deepest shame if one of you didn't take the mantle of champion."

Diana and Mercy smiled radiantly at the compliment being paid to them, Artemis was not one who gave compliments freely, one had to earn her respect and both women had done just that over the years.

So then it was with a light heart and love for each other that the three friends parted ways that day; the tournament was only three days away and each woman had a role to prepare for.

* * *

><p>The day of the tournament saw Diana wake with a feeling of nerves and excitement warring in her stomach, it saw her to breakfast in the great hall in which she didn't consume much; it all seemed to taste wooden. To her credit it appeared as if many of her sisters were not eating much either, and the fact that everyone else was nervous helped ease her own tension somewhat.<p>

It was past mid-morning when the contest began. The opening ceremony began in the great temple of Hera; the mother of the gods and an opening prayer was conducted by Hippolyta the Queen of the Amazon's. After that the first task began, the two hundred Amazon's who had taken up the challenge were sequestered in the temple and given a written exam. To an outsider the exam may have seemed superfluous but the Amazons were women of strong body, mind and spirit and their chosen champion would need to be well learned in order to not only bring Amazonian teachings to the man's world but also bridge the gap between Themyscira and the rest of the world.

After two hours' time the tests were collected and taken to a fire, the magic imbibed within the parchment made it glow green if the Amazon passed or red if she failed. One by one the test were burned and slowly but surely the passing Amazons were separated from their sisters, when it was over only a hundred and twenty remained.

The survivors were led to the Coliseum where from the looks of it every one of both Amazonian tribes had come out upon the arrival of the contenders a deafening cheer was taken up. Hippolyta let it go on for a few minutes before she stood and silenced the crowd with an upraised hand.

"Those who remain, congratulations! However your trial is not at an end. You have proved that you have the mind of an Amazon champion, but now you possess the skill and spirit of a champion. The next part of the tournament will begin now!"

Another thunderous cheer as Hippolyta reclaimed her seat. The candidates were divided into groups and throughout the rest of the day had to display their proficiency with botany, archery, medicine and various forms of armed and unarmed combat. Finally as Artemis had predicted only two remained; Diana and Mercy, both were exhausted but excited to be facing off against each other.

The final test was to be a duel; the combatants were allowed to choose any weapon that they preferred. Diana chose a pair of xiphos and Mercy a dory and net. Thus far Diana hadn't had to use the gifts endowed upon her by the gods but that might not be the case anymore. In order to make the contest fair Mercy had been bestowed with the gauntlet of Atlas and the winged sandals of Hermes, she now possessed strength and speed on par with Diana's; this was to be a contest won due to skill, not by a coincidence of birth.

Diana and Mercy bowed to each other; respect and admiration showing in both their eyes. The crowd was in silence and when Hippolyta gave the go ahead both began to circle each other.

Mercy had a significant range advantage and they both knew it; that was tempered by the fact she had to worry about the fact that if Diana got in close enough both of her weapons were practically useless.

Perhaps hoping to use her range advantage Mercy struck first; a straight thrust aimed at Diana's belly.

Diana side stepped the attack and slashed down with the xiphos in her left hand attempting to cleave Mercy's dory in two but as gifted as Diana was with the blade, Mercy was her equal with the spear.

Instead of retracting her weapon as one would expect (and play into Diana's counter-attack) Mercy spun around bringing her dory in a full circle and nearly taking a large chunk out of Diana's right side. Reacting purely on instinct Diana managed to deflect the dory downward and away from her at the last second. She hopped back and settled into a defensive stance shooting an approving glance at her friend, Mercy retracted the dory and returned the look with a smile and nod.

The crowd around them broke into cheers but neither warrior noticed; they were too focused on each other. The next clash was instigated by Diana, she dashed forward trying to rush Mercy, but her opponent was not to be caught off guard. She waited until Diana was in range and stabbed her dory out, Diana was forced to pirouette to avoid getting skewered, unfortunately she had been so focused on the dory she had forgotten about the net. Mercy threw the net and managed to entangle Diana's right thigh, pulling hard with the corded rope she tripped Diana to the floor.

The crowd held its breath thinking Diana was about to lose; that would not be the case.

Using her right xiphos she cut the net at its corded rope causing it to fall useless on the ground. She quickly rolled over and nipped up onto her feet, her blades in front of her, ready to continue battle. Mercy might have been down a weapon but Diana didn't relax; her opponent was even more dangerous. With the net gone she didn't have to divide her attention between two weapons she only had to focus on wielding the dory, her preferred weapon.

As if to drive the point home Mercy spun the dory up, around and behind her back; with her free hand she beckoned for Diana to come at her.

* * *

><p>In the Queen's box Artemis (as the former champion she was accorded a place of honor) watched with pride as her two friends gave their all. "They are well matched."<p>

A tall, dark skinned woman shook her head. "They are for now, but Diana will win the day."

Hippolyta looked at her. "You only say that because you trained her yourself Philippus."

Philippus shook her head calmly. "I trained them both my Queen, and while Mercy is an excellent warrior, Diana is perhaps the most gifted one I've ever seen. It's only a matter of time until Diana finds an advantage and wins this contest."

The sounds of battle echoed up to them as the other two women considered Philippus' words, she was not one prone to boast or exaggerate, and the fact that she had bestowed such an honor on Diana spoke volumes.

Back on the field Mercy was beginning to falter while Diana seemed to be gaining steam. _She fights like a creature possessed! I have to end this soon._

She thrust her dory out at Diana's head but fatigue made the thrust sloppy, Diana swatted the staff aside with her left xiphos and turned while slashing down with her right. The dory shattered at the point of impact and the force of the blow was so great Mercy lost her grip on the spear; not that the weapon in its current shape would've been of much use. Instead of advancing to claim her victory Diana looked down at the shattered spear and back at her friend. Without so much as a second thought she threw a xiphos at Mercy's feet. "Take it, so we may continue our fight."

Mercy looked at the sword as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "No, you have bested me; if-"

"If it is because of my strength with the blade, I'll gladly fight you in unarmed combat." Diana interjected throwing her other xiphos to the ground.

Mercy looked in Diana's strikingly blue eyes and smiled before continuing her earlier statement. "If I had to lose to anyone, I'm glad it was you sister. Today you have proven why you deserve the title of champion." Then in a raised voice so all could hear she proclaimed. "I yield."

The cheers and applause went on and on until finally Hippolyta rose and signaled for silence, she seemed to be bursting with pride and though her eyes seemed to shine brightly no one was bold enough to notice it.

"Diana, princess of Themyscira you have proven yourself against your sisters and worthy of bearing the mantle of Champion, come forth and claim your prizes."

With one last glance at Mercy who smiled encouragingly Diana rose from the ground and flew up to the Queen's box she landed and immediately dropped to one knee.

"Rise daughter." Hippolyta commanded.

Diana stood and faced her mother, Artemis and Philippus.

Artemis stepped forward and presented Diana a golden glowing lasso.

"Behold the golden girdle of Gaea, it was forged by Hephaestus and blessed by Hestia with the flames of truth. It is unbreakable and all bound by it must not only speak the truth but do as commanded by its bearer."

Diana took the lasso and felt a tingle of power arc from the enchanted rope to her fingers.

Artemis stepped back and Philippus stepped forward, in her hands were a pair of golden forearm bracelets. "Formed from the remnants of Lord Zeus's Aegis these bracelets are indestructible and when crossed no attack will be able to penetrate their protective field." Diana reverently took the bracelets and upon further inspection saw twin swooping W's engraved into them. She looked at Philippus questioningly.

The Amazon General lowered her voice. "Hephaestus is responsible for the lettering, the W stands for womanhood."

"I see." She didn't.

Philippus stepped back and Hippolyta stepped forward, in her hand was a tiara, it too was shaped as W and had a red star in its center. "This is a gift and symbol of your Amazonian heritage and status as champion. In battle it can serve as a deadly projectile, it is enchanted to always return to its owner no matter the distance thrown." She placed it on Diana's head.

Suddenly there was a brilliant flash of light and a strikingly tall woman clad in full armor with a brilliant white owl perched serenely on her shoulder appeared, instantly all the Amazons fell to their knees and bowed, cries of 'my lady' could be heard throughout the arena.

Keen grey eyes observed the prone Amazon's and when the woman spoke it was in an ethereal and echoing voice. "Rise sisters."

Hippolyta was the first to recover. "Lady Athena, how may your people be of service to you?"

Athena smiled. "I am not here to request anything Hippolyta; I merely wish to offer my charge congratulations on becoming champion and present her with a token of my affection." She waved her hand and Diana was bathed in light, when it cleared her earlier clothing had been replaced.

On her feet were a dark pair of boots, her legs which had been bare were covered by a form fitting pair of midnight blue trousers. Securing them was a large belt of silver with the image of an eagle engraved into it; attached to the belt was the golden lasso. The silver bracelets all Amazons wore had been replaced by the larger golden ones she had won; underneath them was a guard of red and gold, the guard's straps criss-crossed all the way up her arms and were secured to her tunic. The tunic was completely red except its straps and neckline which were gold; the neckline was in the shape of a W with an eagle's head on the point of the letter; it seemed metallic in nature.

It was safe to say nothing like what Diana was wearing had ever been seen on Themyscira before and she looked down at the ensemble in confusion.

Athena merely smiled once more. "These wares may seem unusual to you; however they will serve you well in the world of man, go forth Diana with the blessings of your patrons as the champion of both Themyscira and Olympus and in your duties as envoy of the Amazon's." She disappeared in another brilliant flash of light.

* * *

><p>The next day Diana and Artemis were set to depart Themyscira, they were set to begin their journey on a tour of the world to get a lay of the land and a feeling for the way the world operated, after that was completed they would begin the actual process of introducing Diana to the world and she would start her duties as ambassador and emissary of the Amazons.<p>

The entire population of both Amazon tribes had turned up to see their sisters off on their journey. They lined the steps of the palace and all seemed to have well wishes or gifts to bestow among the two, it took nearly an hour and a half for the two to make it to their departure point. By which time Artemis, never the most patient of people was becoming quite irritable. Finally they stopped in front of Queen Hippolyta, Philippus and Mercy. Philippus presented Artemis with a gorgeous dark wood bow, a quiver full of arrows, the winged sandals of Hermes and the gauntlet of Atlas before she made sure to tell her in no uncertain terms that she was now Diana's protector and responsible for her safety. Hippolyta presented Diana with the Sword of Hephaestus, her personal weapon and the finest blade on Themyscira. She observed Diana, seeing her full of confidence and determination and knowing this would be the last time she saw her for a long while her royal impassiveness gave way to her maternal side and she hugged her daughter tightly and with pride.

Finally Mercy stepped forward and immediately all three embraced, tears were in all their eyes; even stoic Artemis. She wished them safe journeys and promised to pray to the gods for their success before gracefully stepping back. Both women took one last look at their gathered sisters before rising into the air, a cheer was taken up and it was with full hearts that Artemis and Diana sped away from their home and into the world of man and their new destiny.

* * *

><p>From her throne the goddess known alternately known as Strife and Eris watched Diana's departure from Themyscira with concern, Diana's departure threatened everything she and Ares had been working towards for the past millennium. The same laws that prevented the Olympian gods from reversing the course of the world prevented Eris and Ares from interfering directly also. However if the gods on Olympus were allowed to send out a champion to represent their interest then she needed to assure that she and Ares also had a champion to further their goals.<p>

She gazed at the gathered Amazon's and after searching for a moment she found what she was looking for, she felt the tiny seeds of jealousy and discord in Mercy's heart and smiled. This one would be perfect and the irony that she was Diana's closest friend was too delicious to pass up.

Although Mercy's feelings weren't at a point that she could be of use to Eris, that wouldn't be a problem for long. Using the magic that was at her disposal she began to subtly feed the jealousy and discord in Mercy's heart. Soon when Mercy's feelings reached a boiling point, she would offer her the golden apple of temptation, all Mercy had to do was take one bite and then she would be completely under Eris's control.

Then the fun would begin.

* * *

><p>AN I know in the comics Eris is Ares daughter, I went with a more traditional origin for her in that she and Ares aren't related just allies. Also I don't think this is the last we'll be seeing of Diana and Artemis before they see their debut in the good ole' U.S Anyway I'll see you guys at the next update and as usual thanks for reading!


	7. Superman

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything associated with Smallville or Superman (which is to bad cause if I had my way I'd make it so Season 8 never happened).**

**Thanks: Ben10987654321, Wondiebuff and unoarnya30 get a special thanks for leaving me reviews.**

**Wondiebuff: I'm not sure how long this story will be, I feel like I'm still in the begining and have aways to go, I don't really shoot for a word count so to speak but I just kind of let the story write itself, if that makes sense...but I think I can safely say we haven't reached the halfway point yet. I don't know about a showdown between the four of them, it's a little early to be saying either way... but Ares and Eris will be working behind the scenes a lot. **

**I had to use the debut story from Superman: Man Of Steel, which Superman Returns and subsequently Smallville have re-spun. Not only is it probably the most famous of the Superman debuts but it's also my favorite... so no complaining.**

* * *

><p>Lois had been working for the Daily Planet for a little over a month and in that time she was quickly becoming one of the fastest rising stars of the paper. Her tenacious style, nose for truth and never-say-die attitude made her a force to be reckoned with and it surprised no one that she had already managed to scoop several more seasoned reporters and score several desirable interviews. So when she announced she had secured a seat on NASA's experimental space plane <em>Constitution<em> as the official press representative everyone assumed it was just another step in the brilliant career of Lois Lane that would surely end with her being the youngest recipient of the Pulitzer Prize in nearly forty years.

The _Constitution _was being billed as the future of travel; the dream of commercialized space travel which had seemed like a pipe dream for so many years seemed like it was about to finally come true. The launch had gone off flawlessly and Lois Lane had become the first reporter in the history of the planet to file a report from space. The Constitution had then docked with the I.S.S for three days before finally making its triumphant return journey to Earth.

Everything had been going according to plan, then the heat shielding had failed, Lois heard the desperate calls to ground control, but everyone onboard knew it was too late; without the ceramic shielding to guard against the heat of re-entry _Constitution_ was doomed to a fiery death. Knowing she had only minutes left Lois closed her eyes and tried to make peace with her fate as the ship shook violently around her.

* * *

><p>On the ground at Metropolis International Airport, Clark Kent and Chloe Sullivan two more of the Planet's rising stars heard over their Justice League ear buds what was going on. Cyborg had been on monitor duty when the calls had come in to ground control.<p>

"_Clark, did you get all that?"_

Clark and Chloe who were standing at the back of the crowd were both listening to their league earpieces. "Yeah I got it Victor, I'm going in."

"_You're the only one who can handle it, the heat won't let J'onn get close and other than him you're the only one of us who can fly."_

"Roger." He cut the channel.

"You sure you're ready for this?" Chloe asked him nervously.

He closed his eyes for a moment, this was it. His journey had led him to this point, he was about to step into the light and after this, things would never be the same again. But he knew he could do it, it was time. "I'm ready."

She nodded seeing the change come over her lifelong friend, quickly she reached up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Go, and good luck Clark."

Turning around he ducked out of the back of the crowd, and headed quickly to a utility shed, he broke the lock and stepped inside.

The space was cramped and the air musty but he managed to strip out of his street clothes and place them aside. When he stood he was clad in the uniform Martha had made for him. A quick glance with his x-ray vision confirmed the coast was clear. Stepping outside he took a deep breath and launched himself skyward as fast as he could.

He heard people gasp and exclaim as he rocketed past but he put that out of his mind and focused on increasing his speed. By the time he cleared the mesosphere he was exceeding speeds of Mach 15 and still accelerating. He had been scanning the skies but not having much luck, when he caught a flash of movement on the edge of his vision.

Training his telescopic vision he found the Constitution, it was in a full-fledged uncontrolled dive, the engines had obviously failed from the excessive heat, the main source of which was a four foot section of exposed hull where the ceramic heat shielding had come loose.

In seconds he noted the plane's dangerous rise in temperature had a rough estimate of the plane's distance from him, distance to the ground, rate of descent and how much force it would take to alter Constitution's course.

It was still possible to save it but he'd need to act fast.

Pushing himself faster still, he shot past the plane before arcing back around and matching speeds with it. The massive slipstream generated in its wake threatened to knock him off course but he managed to close the distance to the exposed hull and using his own body as a replacement for the heat shield he covered the affected area.

That was one problem solved but the space plane still in a free fall; straining with every bit of power he had Clark used his back to push against the space plane; hundreds of tons of steel; plastics and ceramics assisted by gravity pushed back against him, but he wasn't giving up.

He had to save the space plane and the people onboard.

* * *

><p>Inside the cockpit the engineer looked between the ship's pilot and navigator. "Sir, I don't know how it's possible but we're slowing down and leveling off."<p>

"Did you manage to fix the-"

"No sir, I haven't done anything."

The navigator was looking at her panel in disbelief. "Uh-Uh Captain can you come here a sec and tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing."

The Captain cast his gaze at his navigator who sounded close to hysteria and walked over to her and looked at her board and understood her reaction. On the ship's belly cam as visible as day was a man in an outfit of blue, red and yellow who appeared to be carrying…_carrying_ the space plane on his back.

He stared dazed for a moment before he snapped out of his trance. "Lower the landing gear, I don't know how but that guy's towing us in. Let's help him out."

"He's like a goddamn guardian angel." The engineer breathed, unable to tear his eyes away from the screen.

The captain's brow rose at the particular phrasing but didn't say anything. He didn't believe in guardian angels, he preferred to think he made his own destiny. But prior to five minutes ago he didn't believe a man could fly let alone carry a plane on his back either.

Lois heard the whole exchange and after regaining her composure the second the plane touched down she stepped out just in time to see her rescuer emerge from the underside of the space plane.

"Hey, Hold on a second!"

The man slowly turned around and Lois got a good look at him… it was Clark! He seemed taller, bigger, more confident but there was no mistaking him.

In the back of her mind she noted that she had never noticed how tall and handsome he seemed, the tight fitting outfit didn't hurt one bit either. She lowered her voice. "That.. was a hell of a save Smallville."

Clark smiled and opened his mouth to answer when a low rumbling interrupted him. He turned to see a mob, of at least a thousand people all rushing towards him, adulation, and awe written across all their faces. Lois saw panic flash in his eyes and quickly assessed the situation.

"Get out of here; I'll talk to you later."

He shot her a grateful look before he lifted up and sped off.

* * *

><p>Despite hoping otherwise Lois didn't see Clark at all that day but reports and sightings continued to come in about the flying man in red and blue, from towing a marooned ship into harbor to putting out a fire to retrieving a young girl's balloon; he seemed to be everywhere. The next day at the Daily Planet, the newsroom was even in more of a buzz than usual. On the front page in large bold letter's read the title:<p>

** Red-Blue Blur Identity Revealed! Meet Metropolis's Newest Hero: Superman!**

By Lois Lane

Underneath that was a picture of the newly named hero stepping out from underneath the hull of the _Constitution_.

Chloe and Lois were sitting at their desks when Clark showed up.

Chloe smiled freely and gestured at his desk. "Good morning Clark, did you get a chance to see the paper this morning?"

He glanced down at the paper and looked back up bewildered. "Superman?"

Chloe's grin was practically ear to ear. "Yeah that's what everyone's calling him, courtesy of our very own Ms. Lane."

"Well if he doesn't like it, maybe he shouldn't walk around with a giant 'S' on his chest." Lois sniffed defensively. "Besides, it's a lot more heroic sounding than 'the red-blue-blur'

"I'm sure he loves it Lois." Clark said causing her stomach to contract in pleasure. He looked around before continuing in a lowered voice "But it's not an 'S' it's a family crest."

Lois laced her fingers behind her head and shrugged. "Looks like an 'S' to me and if I manage to track him down for an interview I'll make sure to ask for clarification about that."

Chloe took a sip from her ever present coffee mug. "I wonder who Superman will grant his first interview too? That's the kind of interview that could make a career."

Clark loosened his tie uncomfortably but was spared answering by the appearance of Jimmy Olsen who bent over and kissed Chloe on the cheek. "Hey guys what's going on?"

Lois beat Clark to the punch. "Oh we were just talking about Superman."

Jimmy shook his head. "You and everyone else, I'd have killed to have been there and gotten a picture of him but I was across town covering Lex Luthor donating a new wing to Metropolis General Hospital. What was it like meeting him up close?"

"I didn't get much of a chance to say anything to him, it all happened so fast. One minute he was there, the next he was gone." Lois said fiddling with a pen cap.

"Yeah but still…" Jimmy said.

Clark's hearing picked up the sounds coming out of Cat Grant's radio across the room; a bank downtown was being held up and hostages had been taken. He was preparing to duck out and spring into action when he heard the frazzled reporter say that the threat had been neutralized and she was standing with the man responsible.

Clark heard what was clearly Bart's voice issue forth from the speakers. _"Call me Impulse babe, I just want to let the people of Metropolis know that Big Blue isn't the only superhero in town, count on it!"_

Before the reporter could ask for further clarification there was an audible whoosh; clearly Bart had ran off.

Smiling to himself Clark relaxed, he was glad he didn't have to go it alone; having a dependable team of comrades made things infinitely easier. At that moment Clark realized how good his life truly was; it had been a rush saving all those people and finally being able to do so in the open…honestly he didn't know why he had been so resistant to the idea for so long.

It felt right, like he had found his calling.

* * *

><p>Lex Luthor hadn't moved in the last sixteen hours, he had remained transfixed on a number of monitors watching the dozens of amateur videos taken of the so called Superman, most had been unfocused and of poor quality but they had shown enough. He was everywhere; every news outlet, every social media site, every blog, all anyone seemed to be able to talk about was Superman and his incredible rescue of the space plane.<p>

In a way Lex understood, the arrival of Superman was significant enough that it had taken his mind off of Green Arrow and the information leak for the moment, he was caught up in learning all he could about Superman as well but he had a different purpose in mind…

If he could find a way to meet Superman and employ him… all of Lex's problems could be solved, Green Arrow could be dealt with, the mole could be found, nothing and no one would be able to stand against him. Lex shivered at the thought of having that much power at his beck and call.

Practically giddy at the possibilities he reached for his phone and called his press secretary.

* * *

><p>The 'Fantastic Four' (Jimmy's nickname for their group) was returning from lunch to see everyone gathered around the large flat screen on the wall. As much as Perry detested televised journalism he knew that oftentimes stories broke on that format before anywhere else, hence he relented and allowed one in the newsroom. Chloe managed to get closest to the TV and was shocked by what she saw. Lex Luthor was on the top of Luthorcorp plaza and was asking to see Superman for a private meeting as soon as possible, he had important news to discuss with him.<p>

Chloe discreetly glanced at Clark, with his senses he didn't need to get close to the TV to know what was going on and judging by the look on his face he had heard every word.

Knowing he would hear her she turned her head and whispered. "Clark, meet me in the stairwell."

He looked over at her and nodded before walking off.

She waited a few moments before she faded back slowly as not to garner any attention she caught up just as he reached the door. They walked in together, Clark gave the once over before he nodded; they were alone.

"You don't think he found out did he?" Chloe began immediately.

"How could he have? It's not like we spend much time hanging out anymore." Despite the statement he felt a tiny shadow of doubt.

"I don't know, your disguise is good but Lex has never seen it, his last memories of you are from back in Smallville. It'll be difficult but you're going to find a way to distance that Clark from Superman. Good news is you look at least thirty pounds bigger and two inches taller as Superman, bad news is this is Lex we're talking about, if we're wrong…"

She didn't have to finish that sentence.

"Project your confidence more, try and change your body language; try not to do anything that might clue him in as to who you are. And most importantly keep it short, the longer this goes on the greater chance you have of him connecting the dots." She reached up and hugged him. "Good luck."

Clark disappeared up the stairs in a blur and Chloe returned to the news room only to be pulled into an empty office by Lois.

"I know you both saw that; he's gone to meet Lex hasn't he?"

Chloe noticed the worry on Lois's face and the tightness in which she was being gripped by her cousin's hands and nodded.

"If Lex hurt's him…" Lois growled and left the threat hanging in the air.

It all seemed to click into place then; the looks she had seen Lois give Clark, the protectiveness, the worrying, all of it. Lois had a crush on Clark.

She wasn't sure what she thought of that.

Her own feelings for Clark had long since been resolved and she knew that she and Clark weren't meant to be and they had instead settled into a deep comradery so it wasn't jealousy on her part. She mulled it over for a moment, Lois and Clark; there was no denying that on some level they complemented each other but on the other hand…

What really bothered her was Lois had known Clark for years and while she had briefly thought there was romantic tension between them (she had still been infatuated with Clark at the time) nothing had come of it. Lois dated first Arthur and then Oliver and Clark had ended up with Lana.

Obviously neither of them were in relationships at the moment but it seemed the revival of that tension on Lois's part at least seemed to coincide with Clark's debut as Superman.

She shook her head. It wasn't any of her business. "He'll be fine Lo; we just have to trust in him."

Lois still looked worried. "I hope you're right Chloe."

Deep down Chloe did to.

* * *

><p>Superman stood waiting for Lex on the roof of Luthorcorp; when he arrived had briefly considered going through the front door; but he knew from hard experience the amount of camera's present in the building. So he had instead rapped on Lex's office window to get his attention and then pointed up to the roof.<p>

Several minutes later Lex stepped out onto the roof feeling slightly annoyed at the presumption Superman had to dictate the place of their meeting but he schooled himself, remembering he had a bigger goal at hand. The first thing he noticed was Superman's back was to him; his cape fluttering lightly in the wind, he seemed to be gazing out at the city. Again Lex felt a twinge of annoyance but once again he suppressed it.

"Superman, I didn't expect to see you so soon, my broadcast couldn't have gone out more than ten minutes ago."

The large man turned around. "I like to move quickly Mr. Luthor."

His voice was deep and commanding and Lex couldn't help but feel slightly intimidated, that alone was a highly unusual sensation for the young mogul and gave him pause. "I saw your rescue of the _Constitution_, it was excellent work."

"I was just doing what I could to help other people, it just so happens I can do more than most people." He replied.

"Helping people is something we have in common Superman. Did you know that sixty percent of Metropolis works for me in some shape or fashion? I protect the people with my resources; you protect it using your unique abilities. Our methods may be different but I believe our goals are the same, and I believe we can do a lot of good together. That's why I want to offer you this."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a personal check for five hundred thousand dollars and held it out to Superman.

Superman took the check and looked at it.

"Consider that a down payment Superman, I never let a resource go to waste and you're far too valuable a resource to leave undirected."

Superman folded the check and handed it back to Lex. "Your offer is very generous Mr. Luthor and I agree we can both do a lot of good for Metropolis, however my services are not for sale; and neither am I."

All pretense gone Lex tried the direct route. "Don't be foolish Superman, if it's not enough, I'll double it."

Lex swore he saw a glint of amusement in Superman's blue eyes. "That is quite a bit of money, but I'm afraid my decision stands. Perhaps you could donate the money you were going to give me to charity?"

To Lex's horror and surprise Superman lifted off the roof. "Superman think about it; this could be a decision you'll live to regret!"

"I don't think I will Mr. Luthor, have a pleasant afternoon." And with that he flew off.

Lex stood shocked unable to believe what had just transpired; Superman had turned down his offer.

It was a pity, he had honestly wanted Superman to work for him but he had meant what he said when he had proclaimed that the Man of Steel was too valuable a resource to leave undirected.

If he couldn't be controlled, he'd have to be destroyed.

But before then he'd find a way to make Superman irrelevant, a way to make the fickle people of Metropolis forget about this man that they were proclaiming as their new champion. There was only room in Metropolis for one alpha male and it was him; the people of the city had just forgotten it in their enamor for the brightly colored Superman.

But they would remember soon enough.

Storming down the stairs and barricading himself in his office Lex picked up his phone and dialed a special number, the phone rang once before it was picked up and a deep voice on the other end spoke.

"Mr. Luthor?"

"Project Conduit has my authorization, when can you begin?"

"Immediately, sir."

"Good, make it happen."

Lex hung up the phone and steepled his fingers. Project Conduit had originally been his solution to deal with Green Arrow, but now…now it would serve the purpose of invalidating Superman as well…he didn't like to waste resources and what better use for a resource than to kill two birds with one stone?


	8. Rampage

**Quick Notes: **

**1. Promethium is the D.C. equivalent to Marvel's **Adamantium** a nigh indestructible metal and shouldn't be mistaken for the real life element of the same name**

**2. Bhutran( a fictional country in DC continuity located in central Asia) is as far as I can find out is based on the real life country of Bhutan**

* * *

><p>Three weeks after Superman debuted, Garrison Slate the founder of The Scientific and Technological Advance Research Laboratories (more commonly known as S.T.A.R Labs) announced that the organization was expanding and half a dozen new sites were to be opened, including two in Metropolis one specializing in marine biology to be located near Metropolis harbor and another general facility to be located on the main island downtown in Metro Plaza. The main branch was to be headed up by Dr. Karen 'Kitty' Lou Faulkner she and her team were going to be presenting something called the Bio-Energy Actualizer the basic principal was that it used the photosynthetic properties of a common species of algae to generate clean bio electricity. The machine was self-sustaining and required only a few cubic pounds of algae, with that it could generate enough electricity to power a medium sized residential area for a year. It was the hope that the Actualizer represented the first steps into transitioning the planet into green energy. The City of Tomorrow was on the brink of becoming the world's first green city.<p>

For special interest groups Faulkner's breakthrough represented a worst case scenario and the potential loss of billions of dollars. Green energy had always been written off as a pipe dream but now almost overnight the oil and coal conglomerates were facing the real possibility of being squeezed out of existence within the next twenty years.

There were already whispers that billion dollar companies like Queen Industries, Wayne Enterprises, Luthorcorp and Kord Industries were interested in snatching up the rights to Faulkner's Actualizer.

Something had to be done and fast…which brings us to Savitar Bandu.

Savitar Bandu was the prince of Bhutran and businessman who had several billions invested in America's oil market, naturally Dr. Faulkner's Actualizer made him feel exceptionally nervous.

He had attempted to purchase S.T.A.R Labs so he would have executive control over the Actualizer, but that had failed S.T.A.R was independently owned and operated from both the government and business ventures.

Undaunted he had his people approach Dr. Faulkner directly and offer to purchase her device and the rights to it for an obscene amount of money, she had refused stating she didn't do the job for money or fame, she did it to better Humanity.

People like her disgusted Bandu, thinking their cause gave them the right to go around upsetting the world's carefully orchestrated balance for the 'betterment of Humanity'.

Humanity's betterment was decided by people like Bandu, people of power and influence; not commoners like Faulkner who through some genetic lottery happened to be born with a modicum more intelligence than the rest of the proletariat masses that her country seemed to be so fond of referring to as the so called 'middle class'

He had given her a chance to rise above her surroundings and embrace a life worth living and she had rejected him… foolish woman.

As far as Bandu was concerned the insult of someone of her status attempting to upset his lifestyle coupled with the sheer arrogance of her refusal to sell the device warranted her death and the destruction of her Actualizer. Utilizing his network of underworld connections Bandu attempted to find a man to do the job, of course in the underworld assassins came a dime-a-dozen but after a number of discreet inquires he eventually narrowed the list down to three candidates. David Cain, Deathstroke The Terminator and Deadshot, he was deadlocked but one of his allies suggested he go with Deadshot, having employed the man on a hit against a political rival a few years back and had been very satisfied with the man's results. Going with his contact's suggestion he arranged a meeting with Deadshot.

So that was why a mere three days after S.T.A.R Lab's announcement saw Floyd Lawton better known by the codename of Deadshot landing in a private airfield in Bhutran. He was dressed in an expensive custom fitted suit and he would have appeared normal except he wore a ghostly white mask, a mask whose only distinguishing feature was a laser sight on the left eye.

After a V.I.P tour Deadshot had met up with Bandu. The meeting had gone well with Deadshot agreeing to accept the job, the hitch came when Bandu had told the assassin where the hit was to be conducted.

Deadshot tilted his head. "Metropolis?"

"Is that a problem?" Bandu asked sipping a glass of imported wine.

"I don't know how much you know about America but its common knowledge that Metropolis is Superman's town, not to mention that the Justice League is rumored to be headquartered there. It's a haven for law enforcing metahumans and their ilk."

"So you are saying you cannot do it?" Bandu's eyes narrowed.

Deadshot smirked, but the mask didn't show it. "Did I say that?"

Bandu wasn't in the mood for games. "What are you saying then?"

"I'm saying all the parameters of the job weren't known to me, the fact that I'll be dealing in Metropolis means my fee goes up significantly…"

Bandu's jaw tightened. "How much?"

"Triple what we agreed on."

Bandu stood outraged and slammed his fist down on his desk. "Triple? Your initial fee is nearly twice what I offered to purchase the device from Faulkner! No, this is robbery I want you out, out now!"

Mind you it wasn't about the actual money, Bandu had more than he could spend in a dozen lifetimes, it was the gall of the assassin and Deadshot having met his fair share of Bandu's in his life knew exactly how to get them to crack.

Deadshot's mask showed no expression and his voice was nonplused. "My fee is non-negotiable, I thought you wanted the best not some second-rate jerk-off… if you want that maybe you should call in Deathstroke or Bloodsport or one of those other pansies." He stood and calmly walked to the door, counting to ten in his head as he did.

He didn't get past five when Bandu called him back.

"Fine, your terms are accepted." The prince angrily spat.

Underneath his mask he smiled, Bandu's type always thought they had one up on everyone else and looked down on others but Deadshot knew that when a man is shot whether he is rich or poor matters not; he bleeds and dies the exact same way.

"Good, wire the first payment to this account, once it clears, I'll begin the job. Once the job is complete you will receive a call from me at which point you will wire the remainder of my funds into the same account." He scribbled the account number to an off shore bank and left the room.

Bandu stood breathing heavily, the paper Deadshot had left behind was crumpled in his right fist. He swore under his breath before throwing his imported liquor onto the floor.

* * *

><p>Chloe and Jimmy were at the opening at S.T.A.R Labs. Chloe was excited this was her first big solo story, over the past few months she had been paying her dues as a beat reporter and this was her chance to establish herself as a breakout reporter, much like Lois had with her Superman piece. Jimmy was there both in the capacity of Daily Planet photographer and as her moral support.<p>

And while Chloe didn't have the tenacious charm her cousin did she had managed to convince Dr. Faulkner to allow her and Jimmy a 'behind the scene' tour before the actual press conference began.

Dr. Faulkner was a fairly short woman with bushy hair and large owlish glasses adorning her face. After a brief introduction she shook both Chloe and Jimmy's hands and lead them to a machine about fifteen feet high and about twenty feet long it hummed and pulsated with energy.

"This is the main Actualizer, where the magic happens. The alge is stored in this chamber and bombared with simulated solar radiatation stimulating the photosynthetic cycle and generating bio-electricty from there it is collected by large transformers and directed to where it needs to go via computer, one of these stations can power an entire neighborhood, we're hoping to introduce a hundred into Metropolis in the next five years."

"What about people who are worried about radiation used in the process and the possibility of a meltdown?"

"Highly unlikely, the process is safer than nuclear fission on a factor of nearly fifteen times and even in the event of a catastrophic meltdown, the CPU is completely capable of dealing with any problems that may occur during the process greatly reducing the danger to Human life."

"That sounds truly remarkable Dr. Faulkner." A voice said behind them.

Turning around the three of them saw a figure in a white and red bodysuit, his face was obscured by a featureless white mask and on the left eye was a red sight.

"Who are you and how did you get back here, this is-"

The man waved a hand, on his wrist was an odd device that looked suspiciously like a miniaturized gattling gun. "Supposed to be a secure area. Yeah, yeah heard it all before." He finished for her sounding bored.

Chloe was unsure what to do; assuming that was a gun on his wrist, the man wasn't close enough that she could reach him before he got a shot off. Best thing to do keep him talking until she could figure something out.

"Who are you and what do you want?" she asked boldly, beside her Jimmy stirred uncomfortably.

"Call me Deadshot babe and I'm here to kill little Kitty over there and trash her Actualizer, turns out if you make a device that'll put Foreign Oil out of business, you make some pretty big enemies.." Although Chloe couldn't see his face, she could hear the smile in his voice.

He didn't say anything else, he just raised his wrist and fired. Twin holes hit Dr. Faulkner in the chest, she went down. Two hit the containment unit behind her, one caught Chloe in the shoulder she fell and she heard Deadshot get another round off, but what he hit she didn't see. There was a shrill klaxon and a flashing red light. Deadshot walked over to Chloe, who was greatful for the Kevlar her suit was made of, it stopped the bullet from penetrating, although it hurt like hell.

Somehow in the shuffle Dr. Faulkner had managed to with the last of her strength activate the manual blast shield, sealing off the machine from the rest of the facility.

Chloe looked over and saw Jimmy on his knees a look of disbelief on his face as he clutched his arm, a bloodstain soaking through his shirt. Feeling something in her snap Chloe flipped up and charged the assassin.

Deadshot blocked a kick from the woman with one arm and aimed a shot at her boyfriend with the other, catching him in the neck. It had its desired effect and she was distracted long enough for him to flip her over. Smirking under the mask he advanced over to her, he expected to see the usual terror in her eyes that he often saw in his line of work. Instead he saw hard determination and defiance, he hesitated for a second.

A loud boom sounded behind him, against his instincts he turned around and saw the blast shield shaking and a fist imprint appear on the metal barrier. That would be alarming enough, but the imprint was the size of his head.

A feeling of dread suddenly formed in his gut.

Another imprint appeared and another before the shield caved outward and a pair of orange hands appeared in the hole and pulled the opening back.

Deadshot was frozen in shock.

The hole in the shield was now nearly eight feet across and from out of it stepped a huge creature, it was nearly ten feet tall, it's skin was orange and it was covered in thick corded muscle, the tattered remains of a lab coat and skirt were the only identifying markers that the creature had been Dr. Faulkner only moments ago.

Deadshot unfroze and fired at the creature, his bullets bounced off with an odd pinging noise. Underneath his mask his eyes widdend in shock and the creature began advancing on Deadshot

Meanwhile Chloe had tears in her eyes as she tried to stem the flow of blood from Jimmy's neck wound, but it seemed in vain; Jimmy was dying. She had no intention of letting the man she loved perish, taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and focused on the wound in his neck and began to feed her energy into it.

Chloe's powers were based on empathic healing, in other words she could heal a wound but she would not only feel the pain of the wound she was healing she would also receive equivalent damage to whatever she was healing that was mitigated by a healing factor that would repair the damage over time…or that was the theory. She had been practicing on small wounds and her healing time was increasing…the problem was the last time she had healed a fatal wound she had been dead for nearly three hours.

Her hand glowed a soothing pink and slowly she saw the bullet wound on Jimmy's neck close, a moment later she felt an excruciating pain on her own neck and felt the sticky warmth of her lifeblood flowing from the wound. Reaching a trembling hand up to her Justice League earpiece she managed to tap it once before falling to the floor.

* * *

><p>Clark was at home about to whip up lunch when his Justice League earpiece vibrated. He reached up and touched it. "I read you Watchtower."<p>

Dinah's voice came from the other end. "Clark, sorry to bother you on your day off but I received a transmission from Chloe's earpiece and she hasn't responded to any of my messages…I was- hold on a minute."

Clark heard her punching a few keys and swearing a moment later. "Clark I'm getting reports of an unidentified creature rampaging at the new S.T.A.R Labs facility, that's were Chloe's signal came from…you don't think…"

She left the sentence hanging but by that time Clark had already donned his uniform and was rocketing off to Metropolis. "I'm on my way Dinah, do we have anyone else close by?"

"Victor is the closest, do you want me to send him in too?

"Yeah better safe than sorry. Superman out."

Time seemed to stretch out for Superman and it seemed to take forever until the familiar skyline of Metropolis appeared on the horizon, a few seconds later he was blazing past the city limits and racing to S.T.A.R Labs. He touched down to a scene of pandemonium, there were panicking citizens running every which way meanwhile since this was a press conference half a dozen news outlets were covering the situation simultaneously, The Metropolis S.C.U was attempting to keep order but were having a devil of a time.

Seconds later a late model cobalt colored sports coupe squealed to a stop in front of the barrier, the turbine engine powered down and the door opened automatically as Victor Stone stepped out.

Stone, better known by his code name of Cyborg had the appearance of a normal human male in his early twenties, but that was a fallacy. His body had been irrevocably damaged in an auto accident, that would have been his end had but a scientist replaced his injured body parts with incredible bionic prosthesis over seventy percent of his body was now machine and granted him a number of powers including enhanced strength, durability, the ability to interface with machines and a sonic cannon in his right arm.

"Superman,I-" He was interrupted by a body flying out of the lobby in a huge spray of glass. The figure was clad in a red armored bodysuit and struggled to get to his feet. A moment later a huge orange hulking figure stomped out of the lobby and onto the sidewalk.

Instantly the S.C.U trained their high powered assault weapons on the creature. Superman observed the creature and saw the tattered remains of a lab jacket, on which part of a nametag could be seen it read; Dr. Karen Fa- instantly he knew who it was.

Superman shot a glance at the S.C.U "Hold your fire!"

Inspector Dan Turpin signaled his men to heed Superman as the hulking creature that Superman heard the media from behind the police barricade reporting as Rampage stared down The Man of Steel.

"Cyborg, I need you to get inside and get any wounded out of there."

"What about you?"

"I'll deal with Rampage."

Cyborg nodded and ran past Rampage who only spared him a glance while he made his way into and through the halls of S.T.A.R Labs, his cybernetic eye acting as a tracking device for Chloe's league communicator, after following the path of destruction Rampage had left in her wake he saw her and a young man lying in a pool of blood, he ran his eye over both of them seeing no injuries but they were both unconscious. He reached up to open a channel on his communicator when he saw Chloe's eyes flutter open, he bent down and examined her.

"Victor?"

"Yeah are you okay, can you tell me what happened?"

"I-I was taking a tour with Dr, Faulkner and…and omigod Jimmy!"

He tried to reassure her that he was fine but she wouldn't calm down until she had run her hands along his neck and made sure no wound was there at which point she broke into tears.

Victor was worried she was going into hysteria and gently shook her to get her to focus. "Chloe, I need you to tell me what happened."

She took a shaky breath and began to relay what happened.

* * *

><p>Back outside the SCU had been moved back to a safe distance and now Superman stood facing down the creature that from all indications seemed to be Dr. Faulkner.<p>

It ripped a streetlight out of the pavement and swung it like a bat at Superman. The blow caught him fully and with a loud 'THWAK' he was sent flying up and away from S.T.A.R Labs.

Rampage smirked and set her eyes on Deadshot who had moments before been transfixed by the fight but was now backing away as fast as humanly possible. She hefted the remains of the streetlight and tossed it like a spear at the assassin, the shot went wide but it hadn't been meant to hit him; just scare him a little.

Advancing on the cowering form Rampage pulled back her fist ready to pulp the little man but before she could she felt a powerful grip around her wrist. Turning around she saw Superman holding back her arm.

She tried to shake him loose but he dug his feet in and held her down, furious she wheeled around and got him with a clean cross to the jaw, he flew back from the force of the blow but something odd happened, he felt stronger. With the amount of power she hit him with he should've felt some damage from the blow but the opposite had happened.

Curious about his opponent he relaxed his eyes and let them slip into the E.M spectrum and saw that Rampage was glowing, she was giving off a very familiar radiation signature; Solar Energy.

Her body was putting out massive amounts of it, the trick to this fight was to get her to exhaust her stores of solar energy by prolonging the battle, she should get weaker and he stronger until he could either safety subdue her or she reverted back to her human form, that was the theory anyway.

Instead of pounding the crap out of each other, he was going to let her punch herself out, while he danced around her…the old stick and move.

And so Superman began goading Rampage, tagging her with shot's designed to irritate more than cause damage. It worked and she redoubled her efforts to take him down.

After ducking a vicious swing he tapped his buzzing communicator and Cyborg's voice came out the other end. _"Superman, I'm with Chloe, she's fine but she wants me to tell you that thing you're fighting is Dr. Faulkner and that the radiation her Actualizer gave off must have triggered her transformation."_

_That figures, that amount of radiation could've awoken a dormant metagene in her._

Cyborg continued. _"Do you need any help with Dr. Faulkner?_

"No, I think I can handle her." He said tagging her with a rapid fire sequence of jabs.

"_Okay, I'm gonna see what I can do about this machine and evacuating anyone else in here, Cyborg out." _

As the battle wore on just like he theorized her attacks became weaker and weaker and slowly she began to shrink and revert back to her normal self, once she was human she collapsed on the pavement and he raced over to her. "Dr. Faulkner are you okay?"

She squinted looking at the cracked pavement and destruction around them before cradling the remains of her jacket around her tightly, a look of horror on her face. "Oh my God…did-did I do all this?"

"Well I'm partially to blame as well, do you remember anything?"

"Just flashes…did I hit you with…a streetlight?"

Superman rubbed the back of his neck. "Yes

"Oh my God, I'm going to be arrested aren't I?" she asked hyperventilating.

"I-"

But she had fainted.

He looked at Inspector Turpin; the head of the S.C.U who was watching the scene with more than a slight hint of amusement.

"Do you have to arrest her Dan?"

"Afraid so big guy, she may be harmless now, but she wasn't more than ten minutes ago." The Inspector replied gruffly.

"Would a plee from Superman that she wasn't in control of her actions mean anything?"

Turpin shrugged. "Might reduce her sentence with the judge…"

Superman nodded, vowing to be at the sentencing, but in the meantime he had a mess to clean up and statements to give to the press.

* * *

><p>On a building rooftop three blocks away Deadshot collapsed…before he fell into unconsciousness he swore he'd never take another job in Metropolis…no matter how much he was offered.<p>

* * *

><p>A week later Superman landed on the roof of S.T.A.R Labs and saw a recently released Dr. Faulkner waiting for him.<p>

"Come to check up on me?"

He smiled "Something like that."

"First off I'd just like to thank you again Superman, without your endorsement I'd probably still be in jail right now."

"It was my pleasure Doctor Faulkner, but what about your…erm alter ego?"

She pulled down the neck of her turtle neck reveling a metal device that looked like a high tech choker. "This little bad boy regulates the amount of Solar Energy my body absorbs so you won't have to worry about any appearances from Rampage."

"Are you sure Doctor Faulkner? I actually came here to offer you a place on the Justice League, I talked it over with the others and we think we might be able to help you control your abilities."

"It was…liberating having all that power and confidence but I think this is for the best…but you can consider me your official liaison to S.T.A.R, " She shook his hand again and smiled shyly. " One last thing, please call me Kitty and er… tell your friend Cyborg I said hi."

Superman smiled. "I'll be sure to do that Kitty, but just so you know the offer is still on the table if you ever change your mind." He lifted up and flew off with a friendly wave

For a split second she raised her hand to call Superman back before her better mind won out

_The Justice League, me? No way _

Smiling sadly she retreated back into the building.

* * *

><p>The next day found Clark in the Watchtower debriefing about the fight with Rampage with most of the League (Arthur, Dinah and Chloe weren't present).<p>

"Was she interested in joining the League?" Zatanna asked.

Clark shook his head. "No she wants to put the whole thing behind her, she's more interested in being a scientist than a hero. But she said if we ever need a scientist, give her a call."

Bart frowned. "That's a bummer; we could've really used someone like her around here."

Clark nodded in agreement. "I agree, but you can't force someone to be a hero, it's a commitment and not everyone's cut out for it. I made sure to tell her it's a standing invitation should she change her mind."

"Good thinking. Before I call this meeting closed, is there anything else?" Oliver asked.

Victor raised his hand and Oliver indicated he should speak. "We need to talk about Chloe."

Clark didn't like the tone in Victor's voice and judging from the expression on Bart's face neither did he.

"What about her?" The speedster asked warily.

Victor sighed. "I'm worried about the usage of her powers, their dangerous."

"So what?"

Oliver held up his hand to silence Bart. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not saying kick her out of the League or anything…I'm just saying maybe we…reduce her active role and-"

"I can't believe you!" Bart was on his feet.

"I'm just saying until we know more she's a liability that we can't afford."

"She's one of us _Victor_, what happens if the promethium in your bionics becomes unstable or Clark is exposed to kryptonite are you both liabilities too?"

Cyborg's bionics were always a sore spot with him and this time was no exception. "No Bart, because the team already knows about mine and Clark's weaknesses, you're just blinded because you have a crush on her!"

Bart flushed an angry red. "No, you're just being a jackass because you have the insufferable need to know everything about everything. Clark I know you're with me right?"

Clark looked between his teammates knowing what he said next would be critical. "You both make good points; to work effectively as a team we do need to know as much about each other as possible and how Chloe's powers work _are_ largely a mystery. That said the least we owe her is to be upfront with her about the concerns and let her choose her own course of action for herself."

J'onn was as usual, straight to the point. "I agree with Clark, allowing Chloe to know what is going on is for the best."

Zatanna swept her hair out of her eyes. "I signed up for this thinking we were fighting as the good guys, deciding her fate behind her back makes me…uncomfortable . Count me in with Clark and _J'onn._"

"I made it perfectly clear where I stand." Bart said stonily.

"Even though it doesn't matter, I agree with the others, sorry Cyborg but that's how were playing it."

Victor didn't look happy and the second the meeting ended he left the tower abruptly muttering about how big a mistake they were all making. The other's filed out as well leaving only Clark and Oliver remaining.

Oliver looked at Clark morosely. "I was hoping we'd be a bit more seasoned as a team before we had our first big disagreement."

"Whenever you bring together so many strong personalities there's bound to be some tension, the best thing is to deal with this now and get it out of the way."

Oliver smiled ruefully. "You make it sound so easy; maybe you should be the chairman."

Clark chuckled. "No thanks Ollie, I've got more than enough on my plate already."

"I suppose you do at that, see you later Clark."

"Later."

They shook hands and Clark left the Watchtower. While he was sure the right descion had been made he had to wonder how Chloe would react to the news and what bearing it would have on her future with the Justice League.

* * *

><p>On the island of Themyscira Mercy tossed and turned in her sleep, her dreams disturbed as sweat poured off of her Eris watched with pleasure, she had been biding her time for months by stoking the strife and jealousy in Mercy's heart feeding it, letting it fester until now it had reached a boiling point.<p>

The moment had finally arrived.

Appearing before Mercy Eris offered her the Golden Apple, promises of revenge, of the ceasing of the nightmares and a chance to reach her true potential seemed to be whispered and it spoke to the potency of Eris's abilities that Mercy didn't hesitate and took a large bite of the apple. Immediately her eyes went glassy.

A wave of the Goddess' hand and they were transported to the throne room of Ares citadel. The god of war looked up at the arrival of his ally and her companion curiously but didn't say a word.

Eris looked over at Mercy. "What is your mission?"

"To destroy Diana and serve Lord Ares."

Ares eyes glowed red in pleasure and he clapped his hands slowly. "Excellent work Eris…excellent. It seems we can begin the next stage of our plan."

He rose from his thrown stepped down from his dais and walked around Mercy admiring her from a variety of angles. Nodding slowly he came to a rest in front of her.

"Do you pledge yourself to me and my cause, mind body and soul?"

"Yes, my lord, my only wish is to serve you as you see fit."

Ares reached down and pulled a dagger from his belt and placed the tip against Mercy's throat, she didn't flinch, but Eris inhaled sharply.

"And if it would please me to kill you?"

Mercy smiled her blue eyes burrowing into Ares red ones. "If that pleases you my Lord, I would gladly forfeit my life."

Ares withdrew the blade slowly and Eris released her breath.

"Open your mouth."

Without hesitation Mercy complied and Ares using the point of his dagger pricked the tip of his finger. He raised his finger and allowed four drops of his blood to land on her tongue before removing it.

"Swallow."

Again she complied and for a moment nothing happened before a brilliant light enveloped Mercy, when it faded she remained standing, but a power unlike any she had experienced coursed through her. She felt even stronger than when she had the gauntlet of Atlas, her body seemed to expand and she could feel the power course through every cell in her being.

"That, child is a mere fraction of my power; it should be more than enough to destroy Olympus's champion and any others you may encounter."

He waved a hand and she was clad in black and red battle dress, a large spear on her back.

Ares nodded in approval. "I also grant you the ability to summon my dogs of war; they will heed your commands as if they were my own. Go forth fulfill you're duties and do not fail me my champion."

"Your will be done Lord Ares." She replied solemnly Eris guided her from the citadel and as Ares watched them leave, a great happiness filled him and he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, all was going according to plan and he had a champion to further his goals and plans for the world.

Plans that included burning, pillaging and destruction.

His eyes glowed red at the thought.

* * *

><p>AN Yes I know the dogs of war are from Shakespeare but it seemed just too good to not use. Anyway I spent almost five hours whipping this update into shape and now I'm dead tired so it may not be quite as good as the stuff I try and normally post. If you see any grievous errors or missing sections please let me know, thanks.

On a final note reviews and criticism much like tipping while not required are greatly appreciated...just saying. Anywho see you all next week and thanks for reading!


	9. Gene's, Coils and a New Recruit

**Disclaimer: Don't own it, but if I win the Lottery I'd probably end up trying to buy D.C.**

**Thanks: As usual to all reading/favoriting but a special thanks goes to Wondiebuff, JNottle, Hellacre13, ben10987654321, Nerdman3000 and unoaranya30****for being nice enough to leave reviews****.**

**Wondiebuff: As much as I'd like to take credit for her creation, Rampage is a character from the comics. And as for hell to pay you have no idea…lol**

**JNottle: I haven't quite figured out how I want their interaction to go down but…I can say he won't be proclaiming his undying love in ten minutes or anything, there will be an initial attraction and build up.**

**Hellacre13: Yes that's her; I have a few twists in mind for her though so she won't be a carbon copy from the comics or the animated series. As to Chloe's powers I tried to give a plausible explanation for them in this chapter based on what I could use from D.C's canon.**

**Ben10987654321: I like Rampage, she's an underutilized character and I thought it'd be nice to give her some screen time. I agree about Chloe that's why like I said above I'm trying to find a plausible explanation that isn't completely farfetched and conforms to canon…hopefully I succeeded.**

**Nerdman3000: Of Course! Can't have a good Superman story without including **_**that man,**_** their interaction is too good to pass up, he'll be showing up in a few weeks so hold tight. **

**Unoaranya30: Imho after Lex he was probably the best character portrayal on Smallville, after he died the show never really recovered. The scene at the cemetery was my favorite in that chapter; I wanted to show Clark's growth as a man, I hope that came across.**

* * *

><p>"What the hell Clark?"<p>

It was the weekend after the meeting with the Justice League and Clark was having lunch with Chloe. He hadn't seen her much since the incident at S.T.A.R, at first he had thought she had been depressed about watching Jimmy get shot and was withdrawing but that wasn't the case. As it turned out she had told Jimmy about her powers and had revealed the secret of her double life to him, and after his initial shock he had asked for some space to sort out his thoughts.

After that saying she wasn't in the best of moods would've been fair assessment, this news only added to her grouchiness. "I mean I miss one meeting and everyone decides to pull this kind of stunt?

"It's not a stunt; there are legitimate concerns about your safety."

"Oh really?"

"Yes."

"And who raised these 'concerns'?"

He hesitated before deciding it was better that she heard it from him. "Victor."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? I bet he tried to convince you all to stick me in the Watchtower didn't he?"

"Chloe…"

"Fine don't tell me. So what did _you_ all decide _I_ should do about _my_ powers?"

"We voted to let you choose how to handle it; we'd bring the concerns to you and let you decide from there."

"Really?" The sarcasm and hurt weren't in her voice anymore.

"Yes, we trust you Chloe, and we only want to make sure you stay safe. Can you say you wouldn't do the same if the situation was reversed?"

"No, I guess not." She muttered.

"What was that?"

She shot him a smirk. "You heard me, Mr. Super ears."

He smiled briefly. "What do you want to do about this?"

"I guess we should have some tests run." She sighed, "I'll call Dr. Faulkner."

* * *

><p>The next day Clark, Ollie, Chloe, Dinah and Victor showed up at S.T.A.R Labs<p>

Introductions were quick and professional (She lingered on Cyborg a little bit) and in next to no time Chloe was being lead to an examination room. Two tedious hours of waiting later and Dr. Faulkner reappeared and signaled for them all to come in.

As they entered the room they saw Chloe sitting crossed legged on a large examining table an unreadable expression on her face.

"Thank you all for being so patient, it is Chloe's wish that you're all here to hear the results of her tests."

"That's right Doctor, I want everything out in the open." She was watching Victor while she said that.

Dr. Faulkner picked up a set of papers and after looking them over began discussing the results. "Well my tests have shown that you have the metagene and although we've known about its existence for almost fifty years we don't know much about it, or why it appears where it does. It's now estimated upwards of 15% of the world's population has the gene.

Chloe blinked. "You mean fifteen percent of the world has superpowers?"

"No, there are three types of metagene, inactive or type 1 is the most common, we believe that 90% of the metagene population falls in this category, their metagene is in the non-coding or junk D.N.A and won't code for metahuman properties regardless of circumstance. Then there is metagene type 2, which accounts for about 8% of the Meta population. Their genes are partially active and while they couldn't be classified as metahumans in the traditional sense they are certainly above the average human in terms of abilities; exceptional athletes, great thinkers…the real movers and shakers."

Dinah gasped. "So you mean people like Einstein or Michael Jordon are so great at what they do because of a partially activated metagene?"

Kitty shrugged. "Yes, or that's the current theory anyway. There have been several papers released that would suggest-"

Clark cleared his throat. "Dr. Faulkner…"

She flushed brilliantly. "Oh of course, as I was saying… the last two percent are what scientist are commonly referred to as Metahuman's their metagene lay dormant until they are activated, there are a number of catalyst's that can activate the gene, exceptional trauma and stress, radiation, chemicals, etc. It's possible for a person to go through their whole life and never awaken their metagene if the right catalyst isn't found, not to mention that there is no way of knowing what abilities might manifest when the gene is activated. In Chloe's case her metagene was activated by radiation. From what she told me she grew up in Smallville where a meteor shower occurred over twenty years ago and another occurred only two years ago. It is my belief that Chloe's gene was activated during the second Meteor shower and the large influx of radiated meteor rocks contributed to her powers. In fact I believe the so called 'meteor freaks' of Smallville were metahumans whose genes were activated due to the radiation of the meteor rocks.

Chloe frowned. "But I've spent my whole life in Smallville and had been around meteor rocks my whole life, so why'd it take so long for my metagene to activate?"

"This isn't an exact science, like I said earlier we're only now learning about the metagene in any detail… but I would hypothesize that all your encounters with meteor rocks weren't enough to 'kick start' your gene. The radiation dissipated before your powers could manifest. When the second shower occurred, the large amount of radiation was enough to activate your gene; from there it was only a matter of time until you came across a situation where your powers activated."

Cyborg came around the examining table. "This is all fascinating Doctor, but how do her powers work and do they pose a danger to her?"

Kitty glanced at him nervously and flushed before thumbing through some more of the papers she was holding. "Well, you all have an idea of how her powers work…she heals someone, receives a similar wound and then her body heals it. The science behind it is fairly complex, but the short of it is she's manipulating biological energy fields. She transfers her energy and that stimulates cellular regeneration in the person she's healing. This causes a deficit or hole to be formed in her energy field and so the missing energy opens an equivalent 'wound' on her body, 'the wound' closes once her body restores the equivalent energy to her bio field. As to is there a danger well… yes and no. If she's healing minor or moderate wounds other than the pain and debilitation of the wound she's not in danger, her bio field should bounce back fine. But life threatening wounds like the one she healed on her boyfriend are another story. The danger in Chloe's powers is if she completely exhausts the energy in her biofield she'll end up dying, permanently. The time you were 'dead' your body was more than likely in a near death state because you must have nearly exhausted your bio energy. I would recommend against using your powers on people with potentially fatal wounds; repeated rapid drain of your bio field could kill you over time, so just stick to minor to moderate wounds from now on okay?"

Chloe looked over at Cyborg. "Are you satisfied? Did I pass your test for League duty Victor?"

He narrowed his eyes. "You don't have to take that attitude I was looking out for the team and if it weren't for that the next time you used your powers you could've ended up killing yourself. At least now you'll know what it could be costing you and the team." After he was finished he turned and stalked out of the lab.

"Chloe that was uncalled for." Clark said evenly.

Chloe sighed. "I know... I'm just a little testy. I think he was just trying to show he cared…in his own way. Don't worry I'll talk to him." She shook Kitty's hand and smiled. "Thank you Doctor, you've been a great help."

Dr. Faulkner smiled. "Anytime."

* * *

><p>Later that night at Metropolis First National Bank a trio of safe crackers were attempting to cut into the vault. Inside was over six million dollars ripe for the taking. The lead cracker could almost hear the waves crashing into the coast of the private island he was going to buy with his share (formal education wasn't his strongest suit). His fantasy was immediately dashed when a deep voice sounded from the shadows.<p>

"Little late for a withdrawal, eh boys?"

One of the safe crackers whirled around saw him and swore. "It's Green Arrow, waste 'em!"

They reached for guns but to Ollie's trained reflex's they were moving in slow motion, he had all three down before they knew what had hit them, he was getting ready to cuff them when there was a large boom followed by rain of plaster and sheetrock.

Oliver looked over and saw a figure partially obscured by the cloud of debris. He squinted and made out a humanoid shape. "That was a pretty dramatic entrance and whoever you are I appreciate the help, but I got this under control."

"I'm not here to help you I'm here to make an example of you. You just have the misfortune of being the first hero I encountered." The figure stepped out of the cloud and Oliver got a good look at him. He wore a full face opaque mask, and his entire upper body from the neck down seemed to be covered in glowing green cables. The lower half of his body was covered in black mechanical armor

The deadness in his tone gave Oliver a half second of pause which was more than enough for his assailant to make the first move. A coil snapped out from the man's wrist, years of hard conditioning allowed him to dodge at the last second.

The lack of visible expression was throwing Oliver off, he quickly pulled a Smoke bomb arrow and shot it at his attacker, before the arrow had even impacted he pulled out his grapnel line and shot it through the hole in the roof his attacker had created. He was up on the roof in less than two seconds, it would've been impossible for anyone to follow him, but somehow his attacker was standing in front of him.

He swore and keeping his eyes on his target, reached up and tapped his earpiece.

"This is Watchtower." _J'onn_'s deep voice sounded in his ear.

"I'm facing an unknown assailant and I'm getting my ass kicked…I could use some help, here!"

"Dinah is closest to you; I can have her at your position in approximately five minutes."

"Do it!"

He fired a pair of electrified arrows at his query, they never even got close. Twin cables snapped out from above the assailant's wrist and grabbed the arrows out of mid-air, snapping them in two.

Shaken but not out, he fired every arrow in his quiver as rapidly as possible, thinking to overwhelm his opponent. Green Arrow's speed shooting was nearly twice as fast as the current world record holder, but even with that kind of speed, he didn't stand a chance.

Every arrow was either deflected or caught

Then like a striking snake one of the coils shot out and wrapped around his torso, he tried to break free but he couldn't move a muscle.

From there it was a haze of pain as the unknown worked him over. Green Arrow struggled to stay conscious, wishing it was over when a familiar cry pierced the air instantly he was dropped onto the roof, but Oliver didn't register anything else he just blacked out.

Dinah watched as the assailant fled, she made to give chase but she was drawn to Ollie; it was like something out of a horror film, there was so much blood she didn't see how he could possibly be alive. Reaching a trembling finger she felt for a pulse a moment passed by but she felt it, it was week and thready but it was there. She opened a channel to Watchtower and told _J'onn_ to have emergency services sent over. As she waited she cradled Oliver's broken body hoping against hope that he would be okay.

* * *

><p>It was the next day at the Watchtower. Bart yawned before plopping into his chair. "Anyone know what this meeting's about? I like you all and everything but we're working on our third meeting in less than a week."<p>

Arthur shrugged. "Dinah called me and told me it was a mandatory meeting and it was urgent."

"Same here." Said Zatanna appearing in a flash of light.

As the others gathered it was a question repeated with no clear answer.

About ten minutes after everyone was seated Dinah came in through the side door and sat down, she looked haggard and exhausted. She began without preamble. "Last night Oliver was out stopping a bank robbery and was attacked by an unknown assailant He was beaten pretty badly and this morning he slipped into a coma, the doctors are saying he'll be in the hospital for at least a few months."

There were gasps of shock and dismay around the table.

"I can try and heal him Dinah." Chloe offered emphatically.

Before she could finish Dinah was already shaking her head. "No, especially with the condition he's in, you could end up killing yourself, he's getting the best medical care money can buy." She took a breath before continuing. "You all don't have to worry about blowing his identity; I came up with a cover story that he was in a car accident and even totaled one of his cars myself. He's not going to be happy when he sees what I did to his Aston Martin roadster." She chuckled but they all could hear the brittleness in her voice.

"Anyway while Ollie's out we need a new chairman, I suggest Clark."

He honestly hadn't seen that one coming. "Why me, you're already our field leader, it should be you."

"I'm not up to handling both position's and Ollie always said when he envisioned the League he always imagined you at the helm. We can put it to a vote if you want Clark, but honestly it'll just be a formality."

He looked around the table at his teammates before nodding. "Fine I'll do it, but only until Oliver's back on his feet, this team was his creation and he should be the one running it."

There was a murmur of ascent around the table and a moment of silence before the meeting continued.

"Is there any other business?" Clark asked in his new capacity as interim chairman.

Dinah nodded and Clark indicated she should speak. "_J'onn_, Oliver and I have been talking about expanding the League." She let that sink in for a moment.

"How're we gonna do that have a membership drive and a bake sale?" Bart asked dubiously.

"Personally I think it's a fantastic idea I love working with all of you and we're doing a great job, but there is a lot of bad things happening in the world and we could use all the help we can get." Zatanna said plainly.

Dinah nodded at Zatanna. "That's the idea; we've been keeping an eye on the superhero community and anyone who shows promise."

"Did you three have anybody in mind specifically?" Arthur asked curiously.

Dinah hesitated. "I have a candidate, after talking it over with _J'onn _and Ollie, they both agree."

"Well don't keep us waiting… who is he?" Bart asked impatiently."

Dinah looked peevish. "_She_ is a hero that's been in the news recently; she busted a group of human traffickers up in New York."

"Aww dammit." Arthur muttered, he wasn't known for his outbursts, so his reaction was rather surprising.

Even more surprisingly his reaction was shared by everyone except Clark, Chloe, _J'onn _and Dinah.

"Come on guys, she's a little… enthusiastic, but I think with some training she could really contribute to the team." Dinah said plaintively.

No one looked very convinced at her statement.

"Am I missing something?" Clark asked after observing everyone's reaction.

Cyborg looked over at him. "Yeah you are, her name's Stargirl."

The name didn't ring any bells to him.

Bart shook his head. "I worked with her once big guy, she's such a show off, never met a camera she disliked and talk about annoying…I mean wow."

"Actually that sounds a lot like you Bart." Chloe said conversationally.

"Hardy-har." The speedster responded dryly, but his tone was belayed by the corners of his mouth twitching.

"I think we're getting off track. Stargirl could be a valuable asset." _J'onn_ said in his monotone.

"Or a disaster waiting to happen." Zatanna muttered darkly.

"Well let's put it down to a vote." Clark suggested.

In the end it was a four-four split. As interim chairman Clark cast the tiebreaking vote in favor of Stargirl. "Well Dinah, bring her in and we'll see what she's got."

For Dinah it wasn't the ringing endorsement she had hoped for, but it would have to do.

Clark gaveled the meeting. "If that's all, we'll call this meeting dismissed." He hesitated a moment. "Dinah, I promise we'll find out who did this to Ollie."

The others added their promises and vows as well.

She looked at them all and smiled painfully. "Thanks guys."

* * *

><p>The next day Clark was at the Planet looking up Stargirl's various public exploits when Lois stopped by his desk. "Hey Smallville how's it going?"<p>

Clark observed her with a guarded expression, since his debut she had been dropping some pretty strong hints that she wanted to interview him as Superman. He was a little hesitant, he knew the people of Metropolis and really the world at large wanted to know more about him but he wasn't sure if he wanted to let the public at large know too much about him. He supposed it was just his natural instincts after working in the shadows for so many years but that didn't change the fact that he was still reluctant to expose himself further.

On Lois's end she didn't know why Clark was dragging his heels, was it possible that he didn't he trust her enough to conduct the interview as a professional? Maybe he thought she was just doing it because she thought of the interview as an easy road to a Pulitzer. Yes the Pulitzer was important, it represented the validation of her work as a journalist but helping one of her dearest friends was more important to her. She was also smart enough to realize that she wouldn't be able to pry an interview out of Clark; he'd have to come to her. So she had been backing off of the issue and after seeing the wariness on his face she was convinced that had been the right idea.

"Fine, how're you Lois?"

"Oh I'm doing okay." She looked over at his screen. "Working on a story or doing some extracurricular research?" She asked lowering her voice.

"The later, the League's thinking of recruiting her."

"Really, she seems a little… amateurish."

He looked over at her curiously. "How do you mean?"

She sat on the edge of his desk. "Well I get the feeling that her heart is in the right place, it's just that she doesn't seem to know how to cultivate a positive image for herself, so she's kind of gotten this reputation as a media-whore. You know doing the job for the coverage not because it's the right thing to do, kind of like Impulse but on a factor of two or three."

"That's how people see Impulse?"

She shrugged. "He encourages it; I know he's a good kid but-

"He likes the attention a little too much." He finished for her.

Lois was a fairly good judge of character and he trusted her insight, it was something he'd keep in mind when dealing with Stargirl and he made it a point to have a talk with Bart. "Thanks Lois."

He gave her _that_ crooked smile and she felt her heart flutter and her stomach flip. "Any- anytime Smallville."

* * *

><p>"This place is so cool!" It was the next day at the Watchtower and Black Canary had managed to track down Stargirl and was in the process of giving her a tour of the Watchtower. At the moment she was keenly observing a picture of the nine founding members in costume.<p>

Dinah walked up behind her and nodded. "That picture was taken-

"Where does this door lead to?"

Dinah had been having trouble conducting the tour, Stargirl attention couldn't seem to be held down to a single thing, she was too busy observing everything at once. "To the situation room, it where we do a lot of planning and strategizing."

"Can we go in there?" She asked excitedly.

Dinah smiled at her exuberance, it helped take her mind off of Ollie and how he was hovering between life and death. Walking over to the door she entered her access code and the door slid back. After observing the room's occupants for a moment, Stargirl let out a piercing squeal and ran up to Superman.

Clark looked up from his console and blinked, unsure what was going on.

"Oh my God, I can't believe I'm meeting freakin' Superman!" She wrung his hand enthusiastically while the other's snickered in the background. After a quick rundown of the room's various functions she had calmed down somewhat." So what're you guys up to?"

_J'onn _filled her in on what had occurred with Green Arrow. "Since then we've all been trying to investigate who's responsible for the act."

"Oooh put me on the case; I'm good at this sort of thing." She said excitedly.

The others traded looks of doubt between each other.

"Seriously I can help; come on guys give me a chance!"

Her sincerity couldn't be denied and slowly Clark nodded. "Okay Stargirl, you're in."

She smiled revealing a row of braces. "Thank you Superman, you won't regret it!"

Half an hour later the tour was over and Stargirl was checking out her quarters. The other members were in the situation room.

"What do you think?"

"She's a bit…excitable, but I think she'll fit right in." Chloe said while the others nodded their assessment.

Dinah looked at her watch and swore under her breath. "I gotta get going; my boss is on my ass, he's threatening disciplinary action if I'm late for another taping."

At the word taping an idea occurred to Clark, not only to help his predicament but to provide a desperately needed distraction for Dinah. "Dinah I have a problem and I was wondering if you can help me?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, I need to conduct an interview with the media…"


	10. The Word Of Justice

_**A week later**_

Dinah Lance stared into the camera and smiled warmly. "Welcome back to a special live edition of the Word of Justice, today I'm joined by a very special guest. Appearing for the first time on camera he's been alternately called the Metropolis Marvel, The Man of Steel and The Man of Tomorrow. Ladies and Gentlemen please give a warm welcome to Superman!"

The crowd applauded as Superman walked out from behind the curtain and after shaking Dinah's hand sat down on a chair.

The applause died down and Dinah began the interview.

"Well Superman where to begin? You first appeared over the skies of Metropolis a little over two months ago and have quickly become the darling of not just the city but the entire world. There have been sightings of you in nearly every major country and I'm told you just got back from flying several tons of food and medical supplies into the Middle East and Central Africa."

"I'm just trying to do my job Ms. Lance." Superman responded earning him another round of applause

Dinah flashed him her award winning smile. "And a fine job you seem to be doing Superman. Everyone is familiar with your work but people want to get to know the man behind the cape, the real you. I imagine protecting the planet is a time consuming job and we are thankful you could squeeze us in for this interview."

"You're right Ms. Lance, my time is often not my own but I'm happy to be here."

"Well let's hope any disasters can hold off for the next twenty-five minutes. Now Superman it seems you've made Metropolis your unofficial haunt, would it be safe to assume that you're from our fair city?"

"No, I'm from out of town Ms. Lance, in fact I wasn't born on this planet. I was raised here though and consider the Earth my home and myself an American first and foremost." There were gasps from the audience but Superman and Dinah ignored them.

"You're an alien, forgive me but you look so-"

Superman smiled. "Human? Yes I've been told that before."

"If you weren't born on Earth where were you born?"

"On a planet called Krypton."

"I've never heard of it before. So are there other… Kryptonians on Earth as well?"

"Krypton was destroyed and to my knowledge I'm the last of my kind."

Dinah face assumed a sad expression. "I'm sorry to hear that. Do you go by any other name beside Superman?"

"Well my birth name is Kal-El, but I rarely use that name as I spend my hours as Superman."

"So you're Superman 24/7? "

Superman smiled. "As you said earlier Ms. Lance being Earth's protector is a full time job."

Dinah nodded and she caught the eye of her producer who was signaling her that it was time for a commercial. "Well that brings us to our first break; will you be sticking with us Superman?"

He nodded. "There's nothing that needs my attention right now."

"Excellent, then we'll be back with this very special edition of the Word of Justice and our special guest Superman."

* * *

><p>Across town in the Daily Planet Lois and Chloe were watching the interview with a number of their co-workers. Everyone was so focused on the TV that no one noticed the two of them standing back further than was necessary and talking in low whispers.<p>

"There both great actors, you'd never know they had this whole thing planned down to the letter." Chloe noted appreciatively.

"I don't know why he had to do the interview with mega-bitch; I could've done it ten times better." Lois replied darkly.

Chloe sighed Lois's attitude towards Dinah had gone from prickly to outright hatred. When she had found out that Dinah had been the blonde woman who had beaten her up at Ollie's penthouse she'd been livid. Then she learned that in the wake of her break up with Oliver, Dinah had started seeing him and that had sealed the deal. "Maybe, but by appearing on TV unmasked and revealing details about himself, Clark is further distancing himself from Superman, which given the scare we had with Lex is a good thing."

To her credit Lois looked abashed. "I know it's just…I gave him the name Superman, you'd think he could toss a little bone my way…a little _quid pro quo__._ I could've won a Pulitzer if he had given me that interview."

"Come on Lo, do you really want to win your first Pulitzer because Clark gave you an easy interview or do you want to go out there and earn one for yourself?"

Lois sighed. "I hate it when you're right."

Chloe smiled. "I know….shh it's back."

* * *

><p>"Welcome back to the Word of Justice, I'm joined today by a very special guest; Superman!"<p>

The crowd applauded and Superman inclined his head.

"Now Superman we'd like to go to some members of the audience for a live Q&A session."

"That's fine Ms. Lance." Although his voice was steady, this had been the portion of the interview he had been nervous about.

Dinah took a wireless mic and walked up to a red headed woman who was showing a scandalous amount of cleavage. "Hi Superman! Two questions; are you single and are you looking for a girlfriend? She asked leaning forward and threatening to knock the mic out of Dinah's hands with her large bosom.

One of the first things he had to learn to deal with as Superman was the seemingly endless stream of women that (sometimes literally) threw themselves at him; he had it down to a science now.

"You're very kind miss, I am single; but I'm not looking for a girlfriend right now."

The woman looked disappointed and sat down. Dinah moved on to the next person trying to bite back a smirk.

An older gentleman in full Army dress uniform stood next. "Superman, I'd just like to thank you for all the good you're doing in the world. You saved my niece from a hit and run a few days ago, the only reason she's still alive is because of you."

Clark remembered the incident vividly. "How is your niece…Melanie I believe?"

The man smiled; touched that Superman had remembered. "Yes that's right. The doctors say she'll be ready to be released in a week or so."

Superman nodded. "I'm glad to hear that sir."

The man sat down to a round of applause and Dinah made her way to a man of Asian descent. "Superman I've got a question, what do you like to do in your free time, do you and the rest of the Justice League get together and hang out?"

"Well I don't have much free time, but I enjoy reading whenever I have a chance. I don't really hang out with my fellow heroes, we tend to keep our interactions professional only." That wasn't entirely true, but it was a good perception for the public to have given the mischief some of the members got into during their free time.

Dinah's next pick was a college age boy with long floppy blond hair. "Hey Superman, you think you could get me that babe Black Canary's number?" He sat down and his buddies patted him on the back.

Superman didn't dare look at Dinah, lest he burst out laughing. "Black Canary is a fairly private person and I wouldn't be bold enough to comment on whether or not she's looking to date anyone."

Dinah navigated the sea of people and caught the signal her producer was flashing. "I think this will be our last question, yes ma'am?"

A heavy set middle aged woman stood and spoke into the microphone. "Yes Superman, how do you respond to people who are uncomfortable with the idea of people like you and your associates doing what you do?"

Superman was silent for several moments before answering. "I was told by a wise man that it is every person's job to leave our little corner of the planet in better shape than we got it. I was born with great gifts and I use those gifts to the best of my ability to better the world. I would go so far as to say my fellow heroes are of one heart on that matter."

"But the violence you perpetrate; doesn't violence only beget more violence?"

"Again I feel free to speak for my colleagues in saying that violence is used as a last resort. We try to negotiate peace whenever possible, but there are those out there who will not be reasoned with; who only seek to destroy. It's then and only then that violence is used and only as an ends to a mean, never as a tool for accomplishing our goals. Otherwise we are no better than those we seek to stop."

The woman sat down, looking thoughtful; he hadn't changed her mind but had given her much to think about.

Dinah meanwhile wrapped up the interview. "I'd like to once again thank Superman for not only this interview but your candor as well."

Superman smiled. "It was my pleasure Ms. Lance. Thank you for having me."

* * *

><p>Across the world in a hotel in France two women watched the interview with Superman, one with fascination the other with a degree of wariness.<p>

Diana shook her head. "Great Gaea! This Superman, I see his name, his picture, everywhere. They worship him almost as if he is a god."

"Given the scope of his abilities, that may not be far from the truth." Artemis responded grimly, uncomfortable with the thought of a man having the level of power that Superman possessed.

"He champion's truth and justice; in fact his tenants seem very much in line with my own." Diana was excited to see another person that seemed to be fighting the same fight she was. "I wish to meet him. I have a feeling he and I can accomplish great things together."

Artemis's eyes went wide. "You cannot be serious princess!"

"I am Artemis; that's why I've decided that our first destination when we arrive in America will be Metropolis."

"But-he's…a man!" Artemis sputtered.

Diana frowned lightly. "And my duty is to bring the teachings of the Amazon's to the man's world and bridge the gap between them and us, in order to do that I must work with men as well as women. And how much easier would that task be with an ally as beloved by the people as he by my side? Much easier I say."

Artemis had to admit Diana had a point and she was blessed with the wisdom of Athena so perhaps she could see something Artemis couldn't, she bowed. "As you command princess."

Diana rolled her eyes and took Artemis's hands between her own. "Artemis you don't have to be so formal. Do not forget we are friends first and foremost."

Artemis' visage lightened and Diana disappeared in the bathroom. She still wasn't sure about Diana's decision to seek out Superman, but as her protector and friend she'd be behind her every step of the way.

* * *

><p>It was evening the next day and Superman was patrolling the city with Empath. Superman was flying several hundred feet above street level and Empath was navigating the streets on her motorcycle. Oliver had bought vehicles for all the members of the league that didn't have superhuman means of transportation and Clark had been shocked when he heard Chloe say she had always wanted a motorcycle. Of course it had been supped up by Cyborg and had all sorts of 'goodies' in it.<p>

"_Quiet evening." _Chloe's voice sounded in his ear thanks to his earpiece, but to be fair he could've heard her without it.

"_Yeah hopefully it'll stay that way." _He responded while swooping around a water tower_._

"_Tell me about it, I have a date with Jimmy tonight."_

"_I'm glad you two got back together; he's good for you."_

"_He is." _Chloe responded wistfully. _"Have you thought about getting back on the wagon Clark? It's been nearly half a year since Lana left, don't you ever get lonely?"_

He thought for a moment about the best way to answer that. "_I do, but it'd take a special type of woman to get involved with me Chloe…all of me. I had just assumed romance wouldn't have much if any room in my life. Lana is a prime reason why Clark Kent and romance shouldn't mix."_

"_Why didn't you ever go after her?"_ She knew she was prying but that one question had always stumped her.

"_I learned…the hard way, that you can't force someone to love you. How Lana and I felt about each other is in the past and it's time for me to move on. I could track her down but I'm going to respect her decision and give her the space she wants."_

Chloe opened her mouth to tell Clark how proud she was of the growing up he had done, but before she could utter a word a huge explosion ripped through the night air; it was followed by three others in rapid succession. Instantly Superman and Empath changed directions and headed to the source of the explosions.

Using his ocular talents Superman instantly saw what was going on. Livewire; an anti-Superman radio shock jock turned electric spewing super villainess was rampaging across the theater distract.. _"Chloe, it's Livewire, I'm going in."_ he sped off leaving her behind.

Her bike could exceed two hundred miles per hour but she still had little chance of keeping up with Superman. "_I'll catch up as soon as I can." _She responded_._

Superman came to a stop over the theater distract and saw Livewire; she wasn't doing any of her usual cackling or showboating she just was walking down the middle of the street and firing off bolts of lightning randomly. Something about this situation struck him oddly but he put it in the back of his mind. He quickly scanned the area and saw all the innocent civilians; he needed to draw her attention and get her someplace innocents couldn't be hurt. He dove down but never got close; a figure flew in from Superman's left and landed in front of Livewire. Superman stopped in mid dive and got a good look at the new comer.

He wore a full face opaque mask, and his entire upper body from the neck down seemed to be covered in glowing green cables. The lower half of his body was covered in black mechanical armor. The man raised his right hand and the cables on his forearm glowed brightly and seemed to come to life and shot out and encircled Livewire. She glowed brightly and convulsed for a moment before she slumped over unconscious. The cables retracted and Livewire fell to the street. The people of Metropolis began to cheer but the man on the street ignored them, instead he turned until he was looking at Superman, he raised his hand and pointed at The Man of Steel before he launched himself into the air and flew off. Superman was tempted to give chase but he needed to supervise Livewire until the police came. He landed and a moment later Empath roared onto the scene and parked her motorcycle. "Good job Superman, you didn't even need my help with this one."

"I didn't do anything." He explained to her about the mystery man.

"What do you think he wanted?"

"I don't know Empath, I don't know."

* * *

><p>Across town in a non-descript warehouse the masked man landed he punched a code into a key-pad and the door lifted up. He stepped inside and a team of technicians swarmed over him checking readings on his armor and bio signs. They stayed at it for about ten minutes before disappearing almost as fast as they had shown up. Dr. Sydney Harper stepped forward, he was a man in his mid-forties he had shoulder length dirty blonde hair that was beginning to show signs of greying and rather vivid green eyes, he was tall and powerfully built. He was an intimading man not just physically but mentally as well, he was one of the world's foremost exports on genetics and had he not have been discovered doing unethical research into human cloning he might have been on his way to a noble peace prize; but he had been black listed by the scientific community and was now doing private work for Metropolis's richest son, Lex Luthor.<p>

After he had concluded his own examination of the test subject Harper collected and reviewed the technicans data. Satisfied with what he was seeing he picked up the special encrypted phone and dialed Lex's number. The mogul picked up between the second and third ring.

"Yes Harper?"

"Test number two was a success, I recommend that test subject is ready for fieldwork." _As ready as someone as unbalanced as the buffoon Luthor decided to use will ever be._

He wisely kept that last part to himself.

"Excellent Dr. Harper, keep me abreast of all changes."

Lex hung up the phone and smiled, by this time tomorrow his would be on the front page of every paper in the city. From then it was just a matter of time until his plan came together.

Things were definitely starting to look up, he picked up the phone again and called his press secretary, it was time for the next step, get the public behind his champion.

It was time to call a press conference for the world's first cooperate sponsored hero. Add to the fact that Superman was going to be replaced by the very thing he had snubbed and Lex was ecstatic.

The irony of the situation was almost more than he could believe.

* * *

><p>AN: The brief cameo by Diana didn't go into the level of detail about her journey that I wanted to but just consider it a teaser, she's got a big chapter coming down the pipes so please bear with me. Anyway thanks for reading and I'll see y'all next week.


	11. On The Prowl

Intro: Okay I have good news and bad news, good news is this update is pretty sizable (including one starring Diana!) and I'm pretty happy about that. Bad news; I have had kind of had a bit of a shake up with my free time (which is why this is so late btw) , I'm not going to be able to dedicate the time to writing that I have thus far, which is a major bummer cause I feel like I'm starting to hit my stride with this bad boy… good news I'll be updating every week still, but it might only be one chapter instead of the usual two…I hope I can still do two but I thought I'd let you all know just in case.

Thanks: Yellow Flash, Nerdman3000, ben10987654321,Nightwing509, Wondiebuff, Hellacre13 I have to say thank you not only for encouraging me but for keeping me on track if I veer off course.

Yellow Flash: Hmm… I don't know what to say, I tried to make that seem like something a T.V producer would do, y'know keep the show on schedule and all but as someone who's never had any experience in said occupation I had to wing it somewhat…

Nerdman3000: Yes Kara will be appearing at a later point in the story, I already kinda laid the means for that way back at the beginning of the story.

Ben10987654321: You would be correct, glowing green is never a good thing for Clark. Oh yes that is the eventual idea I imagine the two of them will be giving him quite a few headaches in the future.

Nightwing509: That is very kind, thank you.

Wondiebuff: I guess I kind of flubbed there…judging from your reaction I might have had her react to strongly? Thank you that is something to watch out for and I'll keep that in mind with any future mentions of him with her.

Hellacre13: I can say they won't be hooking up immediately. I suppose it was a bit premature, sorry about that Yeah Clark'll defiantly have to step up to keep the League functioning properly especially given the fact that new elements will be added to the mix...

Unoaranya30: Glad you're caught up! Yes I have her at almost seven hundred years old, uh I'm going to try and keep her more in character for future appearances. Bryne got a lot of things wrong with Superman but I'm trying to borrow some of the good and leave the bad behind...and no whiny Superman lol.

* * *

><p>Hobs Bay had established itself as the industrial center for Metropolis during the dawn of the Twentieth Century, in many ways it embodied the spirit of Metropolis, prosperous and on the cutting edge. But after the Great Depression and World War II it had fallen into a slump, a slump from which it had never really recovered. The area had been hit hard by the cocaine and crack epidemics and despite the effort of dozens of politicians and relief funds Hob's Bay or Suicide Slum as it was now known as had all but been written off. That made it a natural haven for criminals and various elements of the underworld which was precisely why Black Canary was there.<p>

It had all started ironically enough in the days following Superman's taking the chairman position of the Justice League and the changes he had affected.

The first thing of which was a subtle change in the attitude around Watchtower. It was almost as if their headquarters had a more 'homey', feel to it. The second was his handling of meetings, as chairman Superman liked to encourage open discussion and allowing everyone to get a chance to voice their opinions. Training had also taken on a different flavor; perhaps it was growing up on a farm that had required so many moving parts to function properly or maybe it was from his stint on the high school football team but he knew a team worked only as well as its weakest link and he had made it his business to make sure there were no weak links on the team. The result was that he had had shifted the focus of their training sessions from a one on one environment to a more team based dynamic with a greater emphasis on tactics and using their abilities in complementary ways.

There was no doubt that he was in charge but the interesting thing it wasn't like he was a drill sergeant, he had assumed an attitude almost reminiscent of a cool older brother. He was willing to listen to you, made you feel important like your opinions mattered and if you needed it, encouragement and suggestions on how and where you could improve.

As they say the proof is in the pudding and the pudding was saying he was doing a bang up job: The Justice League had never functioned so smoothly.

If Dinah was being honest she would have to admit she was a little frustrated and resentful that Clark had adjusted so well in a role that had taken Ollie so long to find his stride in. It was true she had supported his appointment (and she still did) but it was a little disheartening to see him (in her mind) so easily replace Ollie.

The fact that her comrades seemed to unequivocally and wholeheartedly support Clark didn't help either.

Since things at Watchtower were running so smoothly Dinah had found an influx of free hours available to her; so she had begun using the time she would normally spend at H.Q to stalk and shake down criminals in Metropolis's underworld in an attempt to find who was responsible for the attack on Ollie.

A week of following dead lead after dead lead had seemingly paid off.

She had gotten a tip that Bobby Gazzo, a highly ranked member of Intergang, (Metropolis's local crime syndicate) had been employing a super powered enforcer on a number of hits over the past few months. She knew Oliver had busted Gazzo once before during his first few months as Green Arrow, so it made perfect sense that Gazzo would want revenge against him.

Which brings us back to Black Canary camping inside an alcove on the rooftop of the adjoining building from _Wild Night's;_ Gazzo's small time gentleman's club. The alcove served the dual purpose of keeping her in the shadows and shielding her from the cold wind sweeping in from the harbor, unfortunately her cover offered little protection from the putrid smell of sludge mixed with seawater that seemed to permeate all of Suicide Slum regardless of season or weather conditions.

She saw an old fashioned Lincoln town car pull to a stop in front of _Wild Night's_ and tensed. The driver walked around the car and opened the door allowing a man draped in a fur overcoat to step out onto the sidewalk.

Even from this distance she could tell this was her mark, she watched as he entered the building and made her move. Stepping out of the shadows of the alcove she hopped off the edge of the roof and landed on the fire escape below in a crouch. Reaching into the pouch on her hip she extracted her grapnel and fired it onto the adjoining building, the line stretched taunt and she swung across the gap, enjoying the momentary sense of weightlessness. A moment later her boots contacted solidly against the side of the building killing her momentum, a flick off a switch on the grapnel and she was lowered down four stories onto the ground.

Discarding the front entrance as a fool's errand she tried the side door, unsurprisingly it was locked, she reached up her left glove to extract a lock pick only to notice it was absent… she must have left it at home.

Under normal circumstances she would have never forgotten something so critical but a combination of her pushing herself so hard over the last week combined with a lack of sleep since Oliver's attack must have been catching up with her. Cursing under her breath she hesitated for a moment as she went over her options.

She could try and retrieve her lock pick and return here, problem was she wasn't sure if Gazzo would still be here by the time she came back. She could blast down the door with her Canary Cry but that would attract way too much attention and she wasn't sure how many goons Gazzo had inside or how armed they were. She could…probably should call for back up, _J'onn _would be an ideal partner for something like this. She discarded that too, she wanted to do this on her own.

She mulled it over for another moment before an idea occurred to her, she had seen in countless movies and it was something that if he were here Oliver would've suggested with that cocky grin she loved so much. The question was would it work?

She didn't have a better idea so shrugging she pulled off her domino mask, unstrapped her hip pouch and stowed them behind a dumpster. That accomplished she fanned out her mane of blonde hair, unzipped the front of her costume down to reveal a generous amount of cleavage, she didn't have to worry about her legs, the fishnets did everything she could ever want to show them off. She walked around to the front of the club hesitated and knocked on the door remembering to arch her back slightly before it opened.

As one would expect a large grouchy looking man opened the door a minute later a partially smoked cigar in his mouth.

He looked her up and down, pausing at her legs and again at her chest before looking her in the face. "Yeah?"

Dinah's voice went up an octave "Hiya, I'm here to try out to be one of Big Bobby's girls." She finished with a flirty giggle.

The doorman's eyes narrowed. "The boss, didn't tell me 'bout no new talent, what's ya name?"

"Honey." Dinah replied with the first word that came to her mind. "Cause I'm so sweet." She elaborated before finishing with another giggle.

"One sec." he said before disappearing back into the club.

Dinah held her breath, if this didn't work- well she just hoped it did.

The doorman reappeared a moment later and waved her in, she had to endure a longer than necessary pat down and then she was in.

As these things often are, the club was dimly lit and a haze of Tabaco smoke seemed to hang in the air as slow slinky music boomed in the background. Women in various states of undress carried drinks and gyrated on stage.

She looked around, her eyes sweeping back and forth over the club until they came to rest on the V.I.P section. There, he was. Gazzo was surrounded by four other men and one who looked like he should have had a booth all to himself; even from this distance she could tell he was a mountain of muscle. He had to be the enforcer, but was he the one who had assaulted Ollie?

She'd find out soon enough.

Remembering to keep her back arched, Dinah sashayed her hips as she walked into the V.I.P section and up to Gazzo's table.

"Can I interest any of you boys in a private dance?"

The men at the table were with the exception of Gazzo and the man mountain in various states of inebriation.

Gazzo looked her up and down. "I don't recognize you sweetie, what's your name?"

"My name's Honey."

"You one of the new girls?"

She hesitated for a split second. "Yeah."

He looked at her before nodding. "What d'ya say Mickey, you want a little P.T with Miss Honey?"

The previously unnamed man mountain smiled toothily. "Yeah, sure boss."

Gazzo winked at her. "Don't worry sweetie, Mickey'll take good care of you."

She lead him into one of the private rooms she had seen some of the other dancers take customers to, but before she could do anything other than close the door she found herself shoved against the wall.

"Who are you, and who do you work for?"

"What do you mean?" she gasped.

"Drop it, me and the boss know every girl that works here…and you ain't one of 'em."

It would've come down to this sooner or later anyway, she had no intention of stripping for these clown's; a little showing off was one thing, but she had standards to uphold. In fact she was a little relieved she was getting to the 'kick their ass' phase of this mission. She brought her knee up and considering she didn't have any leverage landed a solid hit to Mickey's gut. He released her and she fell from his grip. She took half a step back and delivered a vicious snap kick to his face sending him crashing into the table. Any normal Human would be down for the count but instead of staying down he rolled right back up to his feet apparently no worse for the wear. A perfect storm of lack of sleep and being caught off guard slowed Dinah's normally exceptional reflexes down a hair and allowed her opponent to tag her with a heavy cross. She was reeling when he lifted her up by the scruff of her jacket whirled around and threw her into and through an old plaster wall.

The fact that she had taken the brunt of the impact on her arm and that the plaster was dry and brittle were the only thing that had saved her from a serious and possibly fatal injury. Even with all that, the sharp pain shooting up her arm told her she might've broken her shoulder or at the very least dislocated it.

The world seemed to tilt on its axis and blinking lights filled her field of vision. Coughing on the plaster dust she tried to reach for her earpiece with her good arm but a larger part of her just wanted to give up, she was tired: tired of fighting, tired of searching, tired of everything, it would be so much easier to just lay here and let him finish her off.

She could hear the heavy footsteps of her opponent approaching as she lay there. Suddenly there was a shattering of glass, a loud thump and a grunt of pain.

"On your feet Canary!" A deep voice called out.

Dinah eyes struggled to focus for a minute and she saw a figure in an armored bodysuit fighting against Gazzo's enforcer, a pair of nunchaku were swooshing in his hands as he tried to keep Mickey back; he was holding his own for now, but it was plain to see that he would be overwhelmed in short order. Struggling to her feet she cradled her busted arm with her good hand.

She didn't have time to ponder who her rescuer was, she needed to act. "Get out of the way!" She shouted.

He rolled to the left and she hit the enforcer with her Canary Cry, he raised his hands and attempted to cover his ears and block out the hypersonic warble but it wasn't enough, her sonic scream wreaked havoc with his equilibrium and jumbled the impulses going to his brain, he stumbled around blindly, blood seeping from between his fingers until he blacked out.

"That's a handy trick." Her rescuer commented plaintively.

Before Dinah could respond gunfire echoed around the club narrowly missing the pair of them. Any dancers or customers that hadn't been scared off by the initial scuffle were now running for their lives.

A look of understanding passed between Black Canary and the armored man, moving quickly they dove into the gaggle of hired muscle.

Even with an injured arm Dinah was a force to be reckoned with, she took down more than her fair share of the enforcers with vicious kicks and intermittent blasts of her Canary Cry.

The mystery man favored a more…heavy style of combat, shoulder tackles, bull rushing and heavy body blows. His style was reminiscent of street fighting but he definitely had some formal training judging by his stance and the skill he wielded his nunchaku with.

In short order the remaining thugs lay cradling injured limbs or were knocked out. Dinah didn't even bothering to look for her mark, she knew it was too late; Gazzo had used the pandemonium to flee. She realized her rescuer was speaking.

"I'm sorry you what did you say?"

She could see his jaw tighten in agitation "I'd have expected one of you Justice League big shots to know to use a skylight."

"There was a skylight?"

He pointed up and sure enough there was said skylight. "Your way was good to, the whole stripper thing works for you."

She ignored the verbal jab to busy focusing on the fact that she had made such an amateurish mistake. Knowing the proverbial lay of the land was heroing 101, not knowing your environment could get you killed and had her rescuer not shown up there was a very high probability that would've occurred. In that moment Dinah felt like slapping herself on the head; she swore at that moment she was taking the day off and catching up on her lost sleep.

"You know I'm with the League?"

He rolled his eyes. "Everyone knows that's probably why Gazzo high tailed it out of here; you spooked him. Spooked a guy it took me almost a month to track down."

Dinah snorted. "A month? Took me a week, I guess that's what playing the lone wolf gets you." The fact that she was doing the exact same thing didn't escape her notice but it felt good to knock this condescending punk down a peg or two.

If he was bothered by what she said, he didn't show it. "So, why are you in Suicide Slum? You super-types tend to hang out on the main island; did you draw the short straw on patrol duty?"

"I'm looking for someone, a metahuman hit man or enforcer; he attacked someone…close to me and I'm looking to even up the score."

He observed her in silence for a few moments before stowing his nunchaku back in his costume. "I got a hot tip, you might be interested in, meet me at the harbor tomorrow at midnight and I'll show you how to really conduct a raid."

"Who are you?"

He jerked his thumb at himself and smirked. "Call me Gangbuster. Make sure you get that arm checked out, I don't need you slowing me down."

Without another word he shot a line up through the broken skylight and zipped away.

* * *

><p>"That is why Luthorcorp is excited to announce the hiring of the world's first superhero, allow me to introduce my friend and Metropolis's newest defender…Conduit!"<p>

Clark was watching Luthorcorp's press conference, the event had promised to be so big it was being streamed over the internet and as usual Lex did not disappoint.

Clark had to admit Lex was a natural at this sort of thing, his natural charisma coupled with his knowledge of how to manipulate people had the crowd eating out of his hand.

As he minimized the browser and pulled back up the word document he considered what had gone down.

Anytime Lex was mixed up in metahuman's things had a way of going sour when his ulterior motives came to light. Level Three, 33.1, Project Leviathan; Project Ares…the list went on and on.

Clark had no doubt that there was something else behind Lex's decision to hire a sort of metahuman spokesperson…besides the obvious appeal of having a super powered person at his beck and call. Whatever Lex was planning he'd be keeping an eye on him and Conduit as well.

"He's a snake."

Clark looked behind him to see Cat Grant shaking her head in disgust.

He had been so focused on the press conference he hadn't noticed her approach. "What do you mean Cat?"

She gestured at his monitor. "Isn't it obvious? He may act like he's being all altruistic but he's hiding something.

"That's an interesting view to have." He deflected secretly agreeing with her.

"Trust me darling, I've seen it a thousand times before in Hollywood, it's just as much about what they say as what they don't say. And he didn't say a lot."

Catherine 'Cat' Jane Grant was an interesting person; she hailed from Los Angeles where she had carved out a successful career as a gossip columnist for the _Los Angeles Tattler_ before transitioning to Metropolis and establishing herself as the assistant editor of the Arts and Entertainment section of the Planet. Everything about her seemed to scream dumb blond; her glossy lip stick, the love of everything pink, her flirtatious nature, and her airheadish mannerisms… all of it just seemed so typical.

But the operative word in that description would be 'seemed'.

Cat knew from a lifetime of experience that people tended to treat you differently when they believed they were coming from a place of superiority (imagined or otherwise), it was almost hardwired into Human's dealings with each other. People were less intimidated and more susceptible to let things slip out that they might not normally be so inclined to reveal. So she had essentially given the people what they wanted.

Being persuasive or hardnosed might've worked for some, playing the dumb blond worked for her.

If she had to act dumber than she actually was in order to get a scoop… then so be it. It was a method that had been working for the past three years and it had landed her a managerial position at one of the country's most respected publications at the age of twenty-four…an age where most reporters were trying to establish themselves…so who was the dumb one?

She looked at Clark as he adjusted his glasses with his forefinger somewhat wistfully. She had nursed a little crush on Clark for a few months, there was something alluring about him, maybe it was that he hadn't risen to her flirtatious bait like most of the other men in the office, maybe it was his shy and polite mannerisms or maybe it was the fact that he treated her as more than a pretty face and a pair of breasts to be ogled… but whatever it was she was determined to get a date out of him. Problem was since he hadn't risen to her bait she was going to have to be a bit more…direct. She had his attention and add that to the fact that none of his normal gang was around; this could be the perfect opportunity.

"So Clark, other than watching Luthor's press conference on the clock, what are you doing?"

He indicated his computer. "Trying to finish up this article."

"Have any plans this weekend?"

"Uh, no not really." He replied seemingly focused on his article.

"So how about you take me out on a date?"

_That_ got his attention. "What?"

She smiled teasingly. "A date…you do go on dates in Smallville don't you?"

"Of course, it's just-

"Are you seeing anyone?"

"No, but-"

"When was the last time you went out on a date?"

She was bombarding him and he couldn't seem to gain any traction. "Uhm I-"

"If you have to think about it, it's been too long." She said firmly as she jotted down her address and phone number on a sticky note. "Come by and pick me up on Saturday, say around seven?"

"I-

She winked at him. "Great, ciao darling."

Clark watched her walk away and was left wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

><p>"Okay how'd it happen again?"<p>

"I don't even know, one minute she's asking me what I'm working on and the next thing I know, I'm supposed to be taking her out on Saturday."

It was a little bit later and Clark was talking to Chloe over their weekly lunch.

Chloe frowned over a cup of coffee that Clark was sure broke the law for the legal amount of caffeine in it. "And you're sure she asked you out?"

"Yes, it's kind of hard to misconstrue 'how about you take me on a date?'"

So what's the problem, she doesn't do it for you?"

"No, Cat's very good looking-

"Thennnnn…"she let the word drag out for a few seconds.

He sighed. "What I think of Cat's looks are beside the point. I already told you, I'm not interested in romance."

She waggled a finger at him. "No you didn't, you said that it would take a special woman to get involved with all of you, you know all dates don't have to be trying to find 'the one' Clark. A lot of times people go out just for fun and to socialize with other people."

"I know that Chloe."

"Then what are you so afraid of?

He frowned lightly. "I'm not afraid."

Chloe threw up her hands. "Then go out with her, It's not like she's asking you to marry her, get out and have some fun and socialize, when was the last time you did anything not work or hero related ? And before you say it, our little get togethers don't count."

He scratched his chin in apparent deep thought. "Well I took Shelby on a hike through Granville last week…"

She wasn't sure if he was joking or not (his expression gave nothing away). "That doesn't count either." she replied flatly.

"You're not letting this go are you?"

Her tone softened. "No, you deserve down time just like all of us, hell given all that you do during any given week, you probably deserve it more."

It was true that his life consisted of work and his duties as Superman. Maybe in his quest to embrace his destiny and powers he had let the human side of his life slip up a little bit. Maybe this date could be the first step in him achieving balance between the different facets of his life. "Okay Chloe."

"Okay?" She asked suspiciously.

He nodded.

"One other thing…"

"What?"

"Where's a good place in the city for a first date?"

She had her hands on her hips with a 'You've got to be kidding me' expression on her face.

He shrugged sheepishly. "I've never been on a date in Metropolis."

She tried not to laugh but it was a losing battle. "I swear Clark most of the time you're one of the most amazing people I know and then you go and ask me something like that and you completely kill the image."

"Thanks a lot." He grumbled.

"No problem, what're friends for?"

* * *

><p>At seven on the dot Clark stood outside of Cat's apartment, raising his hand he lightly knocked on the door.<p>

He heard her call out "Just a minute!" And a moment later the door opened to reveal Cat looking marvelous in a violet dress. "Hi."

"Hi…I uh brought you these." He handed her a bouquet of flowers, suddenly feeling every bit like a fourteen year old boy on his first date again.

She eyed him playfully. "On time, and with flowers…you're off to a great start already Mr. Kent, come in and I'll put these in water."

He stepped over the threshold and discreetly took a look around. Her apartment was fairly tidy and furnished mostly in dark wood, if he had to hazard a guess he'd have pegged her for a more modern metal/plastic type person. An e-reader was on the coffee table, he briefly wondered what she had been reading before he had arrived.

"So what's the plan for the evening?" She asked as she looked through the cabinets for a vase.

"Uh I was thinking we could try Scott's over on 98th."

"Oh that sounds great, I love Italian."

He sent a silent thank you to Chloe for the suggestion.

She appeared back in the living room a few moments later with her purse in hand. "All set, shall we get going?"

Over the relaxed atmosphere of Scott's Clark began to let his guard down some and enjoyed his time with Cat.

While it was true that they were fairly different people they did share a number of similar interest including a love for classical movies, an appreciation of jazz music and they were both fans of one of Metropolis two' baseball teams: The Monarchs. As it turned out she was friends with the general manager of the team and had season tickets in the sky box.

Time seemed to fly by and thankfully Metropolis decided to have mercy on him; he didn't have to rush off in the middle of the date to handle any emergencies, which allowed him to focus on getting to know Cat better.

Sooner than he thought they were in the cab ride back to Cat's apartment, along the way she snaked her hand into his. Although a bit surprised he didn't resist and just enjoyed the moment.

The elevator ride back to her apartment was quiet affair, but it was a comfortable silence as opposed to a pregnant one.

In next to no time they were stopped outside of Cat's door.

She fiddled with her handbag as a nervous feeling crept into her stomach. "I guess this is me, listen Clark I- I had a great time tonight."

He smiled. "Really?"

She nodded shyly.

"I did too."

Suddenly she crossed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around his neck and was kissing him. For the second time that night she had surprised him but he quickly recovered and returned her kiss. After a few moments she broke the embrace and let out a small sigh of contentment.

"Well… we'll have to do this again sometime Clark darling."

He wasn't sure if she meant the kiss or another date, candidly speaking he wasn't opposed to either. "Sure, I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Count on it handsome… goodnight."

"Goodnight Cat."

After the door shut Clark stood in the hall for a moment letting the night wash over him before he stuck his hands in his pockets and walked away, he didn't strut or swagger but he couldn't stop a smile from breaking out on his face as he rode the elevator back down to the waiting taxi.

* * *

><p>AN: I hated what Smallville did to Cat's character or _characters_….so I'm exercising my prerogative to wipe it from existence and change it up. The title for this chapter I thought was appropriate for both Dinah and Cat, even though the type of prowl they were on was fairly different lol. Anywho for those of you not in the know, Cat and Clark dated for a while before he ended up with Lois in the comic books and I'd like to explore their relationship a little bit, which was the impetus for putting them together. She's a fairly impulsive/spontaneous character and I think that'll be an interesting contrast to Clark's more cautious nature.

Gangbuster is a street level vigilante that calls Suicide Slum home, his origin works fairly well for this story, so I won't be changing it too much. I took the chip on his shoulder and tried to supersize it, trying to make him seem like a jerk. As of now I have no plans for him to join up with the Justice League; it doesn't seem like he'd jell well with them, personality or agenda wise. I also kinda have other plans for him down the road…so uh yeah I think that's everything for this chapter


	12. A Defining Moment: Part 1

**A/N: The Inhibitor collar is a device that were seen in Kingdom Come. They release trace amounts of drugs that make their wearer mentally malleable and seem similar to the ones used by Marvel's X-Men.**

**Some parts of this chapter might make some who are squeamish or have hemophobia a bit uncomfortable obviously YMMV and I tried not to get too graphic but just to be safe I'm putting a warning here so proceed at your own risk.**

* * *

><p><em>The Tower Of London<em>

Calvin Thomas was on guard duty, it was dull work same routine day in and day out. He was part of a team assigned to guard the Crown Jewels, the way he and his teammates saw it they were merely props. At one point there may have been a need for armed guards to protect the jewels but nowadays with the advent of laser tripwires, pressure sensitive floor plates inferred cameras, R.F.I.D tracers and motion detectors the jewels were nearly unreachable. Attempting to steal the jewels was like trying to rob Fort Knox; you'd have to be insane to even think about trying it.

That's why when there was a loud crumbling and a huge gaping hole appeared in the wall in front of him he thought he'd fallen asleep, when he saw a Giantess of a woman looking at him he _knew_ he was asleep. That all ended when she reached through the hole with a hand that was larger than his whole body and grabbed him in a tight grip.

Suddenly everything was much too real.

He tried to struggle against her grip but it was like trying to a fight against a hydraulic press, she cocked her arm back and suddenly a sick feeling hit his gut.

The last thing he saw was the ground racing up to meet him.

* * *

><p><em>Fifteen minutes earlier<em>

Doris Zeul and Barbara Ann Minerva stood outside the Tower trying not to attract too much attention. Given the fact that Doris was six and a half feet tall and had fiery red hair made that effort somewhat superfluous.

Barbara Ann glanced at her watch. "We move in two minutes, look sharp Dee."

Barbara Ann was almost the exact physical opposite of her companion; whereas everything about Doris screamed 'look at me' Barbara Ann was the very definition of average. Her hair was shoulder length and brown, she was of average height and weight and her features were plain.

But much like her companion nothing about Barbara Ann was average.

Doris had grown up in the circus where she had been dubbed Giganta for her unusual height, her parents had died when she had been fourteen leaving her orphaned and to fend for herself.

Without much of a formal education she had done what many people in similar desperate situation's had, she turned to a life of crime. At first it was only to provide food for herself but she had quickly discovered she had a talent for crime and had fallen in with a gang.

Because of her size Doris had always intimidated those around her and as she grew older she had found out she was stronger and tougher than ordinary people, at fifteen she was shot but the slug left nothing but a slight bruise. Six months later she had been hit with a pipe that had actually bent _around _her, but she had barely felt the impact. A few weeks later she discovered she could increase her height and mass, becoming proportionately stronger and more durable as she did. She quickly became the leader of her gang and consolidated a power base for herself becoming infamous in the criminal underworld.

Then she had heard about the diamonds.

Lex Luthor was going to be importing over a hundred million dollars in diamonds from a buyer into a warehouse owned by Luthorcorp. The idea of a take so large had been irresistible to her.

Arriving at the warehouse it had all gone so smoothly the guards were down, the alarms disabled…it was a cake walk.

That was when she had found the truth, there were no diamonds…it had been a trap. Before she quite knew what was going on the room had been flooded with a colorless, odorless tranquilizer.

When she awoke she found out she had been 'recruited' to Project 33.1.

It seemed Luthor had been intrigued by the tales of her exploits and had leaked the information about the diamond transference and like a moth drawn to flame she had played right into his hand. During her stay at the facility unspeakable things had been done to her, things that would turn any ethical scientist stomach. In fact her body still bore the physical scars of her time in 33.1, and she was one of the lucky ones. Not all of the subjects had made it, only the hardiest and strongest had managed to survive through the experiments.

The lead scientist, Doctor Harper had referred to the process as 'trimming the fat'

At first she tried to escape several times but inhibitor collars and massive dosages of electricity had discouraged any further attempts. Hour by hour, day by day they wore on her until she finally broke. By the time Barbra Ann had found her she was a mere shell of herself, praying for death each day so she didn't have to endure another of Doctor Harper's sessions. Barbara Ann had given her hope and due to her status she had been able to pull favors for Doris, occasionally even getting Harper to back off and give her a few hours without the collar.

She found herself living for those hours, were the constant fog she seemed to be in was lifted slightly and it was all thanks to the kindness of Barbara Ann.

The way she figured it she owed a life debt to Barbara Ann and would do anything to protect her friend's interests, no matter the cost to herself or others.

In contrast Barbara Ann Minerva had grown up in a well-adjusted and loving family. At age five it was discovered she was a child prodigy; she graduated from high school at fifteen, college at nineteen and had her doctorate before she turned twenty five. She was a young paleontologist with the world in front of her and it seemed to be on the fast track to a prosperous and fruitful life. Her dissertation on the Urzkartagan tribe, a lost civilization in the heartland of Africa had even sparked enough interest that a private expedition had been funded by a grant from Luthorcorp.

After months of searching her team had succeeded in their attempt Unfortunately her team hadn't been prepared for what they had stumbled onto, one night on the full moon the Urzkartagan had descended on her team's camp and had brutally slain them all, sparing only her.

She had been taken before the leader of the raiding party and one of the warriors had asked him a question She had a basic enough understanding of their native tongue to understand that the leader's response confirmed that she 'was the one'.

What that meant she would soon find out.

She came to and found herself stripped naked and tied spread eagle to an altar of some kind, a low purplish haze hung around the room and although Barbara Ann couldn't see them she could hear what sound like dozens of men chanting in the background.

She had tried to escape her bonds but it was futile, the high priest (she assumed that was what he was given his manner of dress) noticing she was awake and decided to proceed with the next part of the ceremony.

This involved cutting her beating heart from her chest.

She vaguely felt the large knife in his hand impact her under her sternum as he proceeded with his grisly task. She was drugged and hallucinating, she had to be…it was the only way she could explain how she wasn't feeling what would have been unbearable pain or fainted from the massive blood loss.

She watched as her lifeblood spilled from the gaping wound in her chest and the altar she was tied to begin to glow and a wispy…shadowy thing entered her body.

Suddenly the pain that had mercifully been numbed was suddenly cranked up to full intensity, a piercing, burning sensation unlike anything she had ever endured seemed to hit every pain receptor in her body at once. She was screaming at the top of her lungs and yet the pain went on and on until mercifully she blacked out.

When she awoke she found herself whole again she also knew why the Urzkartagan had spared her; she was to be the avatar for their Cheetah god in a desperate gamble to repel a neighboring tribe that was threatening their survival they were attempting to call on their god to smite their enemies for them. That night the woman she had been, the woman with the world at her fingertips had died. She had been reborn as the Cheetah.

The god had been summoned but there was the matter of tribute. Her blood had merely acted as a conduit and anchoring force to the dimension the god had inhabited.

As they say there is no such thing as a free lunch.

The Cheetah had killed all the men around her, unsatisfied she had gone to the village slain the entire Urzkartagan population and feasted on their blood as well. In a poetic twist of fate the Urzkartagan had been undone by their own sword as is often the case when one meddles with force beyond one's comprehension.

The night passed and Barbara Ann awoke the next day to find herself naked and in a pool of carnage. Every action she had undertaken she remembered in vivid detail and while she felt little sympathy for her captors' demise given what they had done to her she was still horrified that she had been party to their wholesale slaughter.

She had become the host to something awful and perverse…she was tainted.

She had stumbled away from the ruins of the Urzkartagan village and made it to a neighboring tribe whereupon she promptly collapsed.

She remained unconscious for nearly four weeks when she had awoken on the night of the full moon, she had involuntarily assumed the form of the Cheetah and had killed again, that seemed to be the deity's cost, in order to call on its power a life had to be sacrificed and its blood consumed.

Desperate Barbara Ann tried to kill herself, but every time she nearly succeeded the Cheetah would seize her body at the last moment and save her life. Unable to do anything else she retreated deep to the jungle surviving on animals and the occasional native or tourist that ventured too close to her lair. It was there that a Luthorcorp team sent to investigate her disappearance found her. They managed to subdue her and returned her to America.

She had been kept in a facility and monitored and at the full moon she had unwillingly transformed and had slain eight people in the facility before she had been subdued.

When she next awoke she was facing Lex Luthor (from behind a reinforced cell). He had asked to hear her story and what had transpired on the expedition, seemingly unconcerned about the deaths of eight of his employees.

She answered him truthfully and when she finished Lex offered her a deal; she was to work for him as an enforcer and he'd put his best people onto finding a cure for her and provide her with the prey the Cheetah required. Naturally she jumped at the offer, willing to do anything to be rid of the curse of the Cheetah. She had been assigned to guard one of Lex's facilities a job she did It was there she had encountered Doris who had been trying to kill herself. Feeling revitalized in the hope Lex had offered her she had prevented the other woman from taking her life, explaining that if there was hope for her there was hope for anyone. Barbara Ann had offered Doris her friendship and Doris accepted, and shortly thereafter the two of them formed a deep kinship.

Things had been looking up and then Green Arrow and his team had shown up.

They had been there to 'liberate' the metahumans in the facility and in the process they had destroyed the computer banks containing the information that had been painstakingly gathered about Barbara Ann's condition, destroying any chance of a cure being found.

She had flown into a rage and attacked the Green Arrow and was close to savaging him for what he had done but she had been stopped by a young sorceress named Zatanna. That would've been the end of her but Doris showed up and at great personal risk had managed to fend Green Arrow's team off long enough for her to gather up Barbara Ann and escape. They had fled to Europe and Barbara Ann had begun to do her own research on a way to rid herself of the creature inside her. Thus far progress had been minimal and they managed to fund Barbara Ann's research for a cure by stealing and acting as mercenaries. She believed she was close to finding a cure several exotic plants had shown promising preliminary results and she believed that after this job she'd have enough money to complete her task.

"It's time, you ready B.A?"

Barbara Ann looked over at Doris and saw the determination on her face and nodded. "Let's do it."

Doris closed her eyes briefly and focused, slowly at first and then quicker she began to grow larger and larger. Her muscle and bones became denser Her clothes were made of a special material that allowed them to stretch with her as she grew. Before long she stood close to twenty-five feet tall (about a fourth of her maximum obtainable height).

Meanwhile Barbara Ann took a deep breath and called upon the power of the Cheetah, Hoping this would be the last time she would be subjected to this torture. As always It started with her eyes, the irises began to change from brown to gold while the pupil became vertical and elongated. Golden fur sprouted all across her body and her bones began reshape as her muscle increased in mass and density. Crying out in pain she fell on all fours as her fingernails were replaced by three inch claws and brown spots began to pattern themselves along her fur. Her spine elongated and a tail began to form from where her tail bone ended, her jaw unhinged and her teeth sharpened and lengthened into deadly fangs. The final change occurred as her ears migrated up the side of her face and reshaped in the telltale triangular shape of a large hunting cat, she stood breathing ragged for a moment before her enhanced senses and the bloodlust that came with them came online.

Her ears twitched and she saw Giganta stomping around the structure ripping out huge chucks of stone and tossing them at the guards shooting at her with automatic weapons. Moving with a speed that put human reactions to shame she leapt into the air and landed in front of a guard. He didn't even have time to process her properly before her claws raked across his face and into his skull, literally tearing his face off.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

The two women made short work of the guards and a few minutes later Giganta had resumed her normal height, she looked over at Barbara Ann- the Cheetah she amended mentally and saw the maniacal glint in her eyes as blood (the guards, not hers) dripped obscenely from her mouth. She wasn't worried about the Cheetah attacking her, the Cheetah seemed to share a kinship with her much like Barbara Ann, she wasn't sure why but if pressed she would venture to guess that it was some small part of Barbara Ann's personality that the Cheetah couldn't squash. She hated seeing what the transformations did to Barbara Ann, it seemed like each time she assumed the Cheetah form another piece of her soul was taken from her.

Doris may have been a criminal but she had no particular fondness for killing. She justified it by saying that it was all for the greater good, she would do anything to make sure Barbara Ann didn't have to suffer anymore.

"Come on let's get what we came for, before reinforcements show up."

The Cheetah walked over and wrapped an arm around Giganta's waist (Doris repressed a shudder) and with a twitch of her powerful legs leapt up and into the tower through one of the many holes Giganta had created during her rampage.

An alarm was going off and a group of armed guards were waiting for them less than ten feet away from their impromptu entrance.

Cheetah dealt with them quickly and brutally.

The pair made their way deeper into the structure dealing with any resistance they encountered and before long had reached their destination.

Cheetah stood around her tail swishing to and fro in anxious nature as Doris loaded up bag after bag with priceless treasure, of course in their current form they were nearly worthless on the black market, being too hot and all, but by breaking them down to their components and given favorable market conditions Barbara Ann figured they could make a quarter of a billion dollars easily.

When she had finished her looting They returned to their entrance point and as Doris looked out onto the lawn, she saw what looked like every Police officer in London waiting for them. As much as she may not have liked it, there was only one solution to their predicament, one way to ensure Barbara Ann would finally be rid of that _thing_ inside of her.

Kill them all.

* * *

><p>Since their departure from their homeland Diana and Artemis had limited their travel to mainly Europe, there were many places in the wider world Diana was anxious to see and learn about, if they had the luxury of time on their side she would have spent the time such a journey required. Unfortunately that wasn't the case and Artemis kept them on schedule not allowing them to spend more than two or three nights in a city before moving on.<p>

Since arriving in England a week ago they had been to a variety of locations including Stonehenge, Westminster Abbey and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (Artemis had read _Macbeth_ and found it lacking, having allegedly met and had a rather heated affair with the legendary king during her time as champion).

But their time in this country hadn't all been enjoyable.

Diana considered Artemis her sister in every sense of the word but traveling together for four months had allowed them to wear on each other's nerves in a way few would understand that had not undertaken a similar journey. As of late they had been having a number of disagreements at first they had been about trivial things but as of late they seemed to all center around their differing interpretations of Diana's duties as champion and her mission as a whole.

"_Your mission was given to you by the gods and needs to take priority over all else, you are to spread not only our existence, but ideals to the world at large. Your duties as the champion are to represent the Amazon nation as the height of what it means to be an Amazon, in other words you can be seen as a missionary, diplomat and emissary."_

_She had heard this more time than she can count. "I know all of this Artemis, what is your point?"_

"_My point is that your duties are much larger in scope than stopping street crime or battling so called super villains, you are trying to affect change on a global scale and in order to do so you must give yourself wholly to your- our cause."_

_I can give myself to my cause and help those who need aid on an individual level as well the two are not mutually exclusive."_

"_In this case they are; the Patriarch's world has police, armies and the so called superheroes to worry about the individual. Your focus should be the big picture."_

"_The bigger picture is irrelevant if we forget the people who make up the bigger picture."_

"_I know you Diana and you are stubborn to a fault, trust me when I say you will only end up failing if you choose to travel this path." _

_There was something in her voice that Diana couldn't quite identify. While she tried to work it out she continued the discussion. "Then you also know telling me that I'll fail is the surest way to get me to do the exact opposite."_

_Artemis had a hard expression on her face looking as serious as Diana could ever remember seeing her. "I do, and I also know that there are lessons one must learn for oneself….especially those with heads as hard as yours, but you would do well to remember you are playing not only with your fate, but the fate of the **entire** world."_

From there the 'discussion' had devolved quickly into a full on argument and it wasn't much later that they had reached an unspoken agreement that they both needed some time away from each other.

That is why Diana was alone at a café enjoying a cup of coffee, and reading _The Art of War,_ it was a fascinating book, and many of the tactics Sun Tzu described were similar to the battle concepts thought up by the Amazons it amazed her that people separated by thousands of miles, vastly different cultures and centuries of time could come up with ideas that paralleled each other so closely.

Perhaps people were more alike than they seemed on the surface.

Turning that thought over in her head she marked a place in her book, got up and went to the counter to pay for her coffee. She was dressed in jeans and a sweater, one of the first lessons she had learned after venturing away from Themyscira was the importance of blending in, she enjoyed observing her surroundings but that was hard when she drew attention to herself for her unusual garments. The first time she had gone out in a Grecian style dress and had drawn more than a share of attention than she was comfortable with. By adopting local fashion she blended in a bit better.

That didn't stop the cashier working the register from gaping at her like a fish on dry land when she inquired about her bill.

She was counting out money when the relatively quiet atmosphere was broken by the piercing wail of sirens blaring not far from their location. A moment later the portable radio that had been playing music cut to an emergency bulletin and an anxious announcer relayed a report that The Tower of London was under attack, there were already over two dozen confirmed fatalities and the numbers were rising. Details were sketchy at best but witnesses at the scene had identified two perpetrators, one as a woman in the form of a cat and the other was reportedly nearly ten meters tall.

In that moment Diana flashed back to the argument she and Artemis had earlier, she knew what her sister would do, let the authorities handle the situation and stay out of _their _affairs, but from the sounds of it that wasn't working and people were dying. She couldn't imagine even Artemis would be stonehearted enough to turn her back on helping defenseless innocents and she couldn't either.

Decision made she looked at the cashier. "Tell me where the Tower of London is."

His eyes bugged at her. "Are you insane, why would you want to go there now?"

She was tempted to grab him and shake him but resisted. "Please, it's important that you tell me."

He stared at her for a moment before he finally relented and told her that it was about ten kilometers from their present location.

Thanking the man she dashed out onto the sidewalk and began twirling around a brilliant white light enveloped her as she spun faster and faster. The cocoon of light dissipated to revel that her street clothes had been replaced by her champion's garb, not hesitating a second she launched herself up and into the air.

Inside the café the cashier wide eyes got even wider as he watched the beautiful woman fly off, his eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted.

Flying over London, she thought about returning to the hotel and rousing Artemis but discarded the thought, she didn't have any time to spare; time lost were lives lost. Her keen eyes picked out the structure and she picked up speed, the sounds of sirens and gunfire became clear as she got closer.

The authorities were trying their best to take down Cheetah and Giganta but nothing they were throwing at them seemed to slow them down.

Diana landed at the police line, before she could get her bearings an Inspector was stalking over to her."Who the hell are you lady?"

"I am here to offer my asistence dealing with the two women responsible for this."

"And what the hell can _you _do that we can't?"

"Didn't you see her fly in Inspector? She's probably one of those goddamn metahumans." Diana turned and saw an officer quaking under her stare, he mumbled an apology.

"I am not a metahuman but regardless of that I am willing to offer my help, given the limited results your men have achieved, is it wise to refuse my aid?"

The Inspector growled before yelling into his radio. "Fall back! Okay lady you got five minutes, if you don't get killed that is."

He looked over and saw she was already gone.

She landed in front of the two women determined to avoid further conflict. She didn't think it would work but she had to try anyway, the Amazon code demanded that she try and negotiate a peaceful solution wherever possible.

When she found herself in the Giantess's grip a few moments later she thought it was safe to say a peaceful solution wasn't happening.

Giganta felt a stinging impact in her wrist. She looked down and was startled to see an arrow sticking out of the joint. She was exceptionally durable and it took a lot to pierce her skin, normally when she was in her giant form everything but the heaviest of artillery bounced off her; the idea that an _arrow_ could somehow break through her tough skin was laughable, except that it somehow had… and it hurt like hell.

"Release her at once."

Giganta looked around for a moment before she saw a tall woman with extremely long red hair standing on the crumbled remains of the gate aiming a loaded bow at her. She also caught sight of Cheetah perched in a tree behind the woman and resisted the urge to smirk; whoever the odd woman was she was about to get mauled, any sympathy she might have normally felt for the woman's approaching fate was mitigated by the fact that she had a foot and a half long arrow sticking out her wrist.

The Cheetah leapt, what went down next occurred so fast Giganta wasn't exactly sure what happened, but the next thing she knew the mysterious woman was standing some five feet to the right of where she had been a moment before, the cheetah was on one knee growling in pain the source of which was an arrow sticking out of her upper quadricep muscle and the woman had her bow pointed at her again, another arrow at the ready.

In the confusion Giganta's grip had loosened enough for Diana to have enough space to flex her muscles; she powered out of the large woman's hand, flew straight up and connected with a double uppercut to Giganta's jaw.

The big woman stumbled back and shook her head clearing the cobwebs, Diana pushed the attack flying in and hitting the big woman again, using her body as a projectile. Giganta stumbled again but still didn't go down. Diana swooped back around coming in for a third strike but this time Giganta anticipated it and swatted the Amazon out of the air and into the ground carving a large trench in her wake.

Artemis caught Diana's crash out the corner of her eye and it distracted her long enough for Cheetah to catch her with a devastating kick that sent her flying back through the remainder of the gate and into a tree.

She crouched in front of Diana. "Are you okay Princess?"

Diana swept her hair out of her face and shot a glance at her friend. "Yes, how did you know to come for me Artemis?"

The usual smirk adorned the fiery woman's face. "If there is trouble afoot I can usually find you somewhere nearby…not to mention I saw you on the news."

"The news?"

"Yes… after tonight I believe the inconspicuous part of our journey is at an end sister."

Despite their recent tension Diana was glad Artemis was here, there were few she would have fighting alongside her and even fewer she trusted as much as this woman. "Which opponent do you prefer?"

Artemis' face settled into a warrior's mask as she looked them over briefly. "The giantess seems like a worthy advisory and… I dislike cats."

"Fine with me." Diana responded before launching herself at the werecat.

Artemis watched her for a moment proud of the warrior spirit that Diana was exhibiting. Regardless of Diana's status as champion she was not to be outdone by her friend, after all she had a reputation to maintain. She strung her bow and launched an arrow at the Giantess that was making her way over to Diana, the arrow that impacted her in the kneecap bring her down on one leg in a roar of pain. Slinging her bow across her back she flew off to engage her opponent.

* * *

><p>Diana clashed with the were-cat in a high speed dance, in the span of seconds dozens of blows were exchanged. To a casual observer their movements would have resembled little more than blurs punctured by the loud booms characteristic of super powered combatants. But to them each punch, slash and kick was aimed with precision to debilitate and subdue or in the Cheetah's case maim and kill.<p>

There were dozens of small nicks and cuts on each of their bodies but they sized each other up with a newfound degree of respect.

They clashed again and this time a vicious back hand caught Diana on the jaw and knocked her to the ground. Seeing her downed prey the werecat leapt high into the air thinking to bring her full weight on the Amazon's neck and snap it.

Diana caught sight of her opponent and acting on instinct slammed her gauntlets together, a terrible ringing noise issued forth from the struck metal and concussive wave of sound caught the Cheetah in mid leap and flung her back a dozen feet. She landed in a sprawl, her ears bleeding profusely. She stood on shaky legs, but before she could gather her bearings a loop of golden rope caught her around the waist, pinning her arms to her side. The Cheetah attempted to flex and break the rope but it didn't give an inch. Looking around she saw the hated Amazon had the other end of the glowing rope wrapped around her hands.

"You are bound in my lasso creature; you cannot resist its power or my commands. I command you to halt."

The Cheetah growled hatefully but it didn't move.

* * *

><p>Artemis had managed to land over a dozen arrows to her opponent but she knew this wasn't a sustainable offense. She needed to take opponent down and fast, because she was creating more damage and mayhem by the second. Truthfully she could have landed a shot in the Giantess eye and ended the fight right then and there but that went against the Amazon code of not killing except as a last resort.<p>

Taking a page out of Diana's play book Artemis launched herself at her opponent she hit the already weakend knee of Giganta at full speed, the knee buckled and gravity took over. There was a loud boom, glancing over her shoulder Diana saw Artemis had managed to fell the Giantess; she was standing on her opponent shoulder, her bow aimed directly at Giganta's face.

"I suggest you don't move unless you want my hand to accidently slip on my bowstring." It was a hollow threat of course but Giganta didn't know that and thus it was very effective.

A pitiful moan sounded and Diana looked over to see that the werecat was gone and in its place was a ragged looking woman, she looked up at her captor, unbearable despair tinged with self-loathing were written across her features. Tears were leaking out of her eyes and she looked like a woman who had given up all hope. "I can't go to jail…not with the Cheetah inside of me, it'll get out and keep killing. Please…please just take my life, put me out of my misery."

Her opponent was bound in the lasso; everything she was saying was the truth.

Before Diana could more than process what the woman had said there was hiss of air and then the woman bound in her lasso jerked as if struck and slumped forward onto the ground and did not move.

"We'll take it from here ma'am. If you wouldn't mind untying her we can be on our way."

Diana turned around and saw seven people behind her in dark body armor; the speaker was holstering a weapon on his right hip.

Her voice rose in anger at the act of cowardice she had just witnessed. "Why did you kill an unarmed and defenseless opponent?"

"Relax I only put her to sleep, she' not dead." The man replied curtly

"Who are you?"

The man flashed a badge, she caught sight of four letters on the badge before the man placed it back in his pocket: H.D.S.A "I'm part of a special task force trained to deal with rogue metahumans."

"I meant what is your name?"

He didn't blink. "None of your concern. Now unless you want to join her in snooze town, move out of my way."

"Watch your tongue." Artemis growled at him

He looked Artemis right back in the eye seemingly not intimidated by her (whether through bravery or stupidity Diana wasn't sure). "You watch yours lady. If it were up to me I'd take all you freaks in, but my orders are for those two only, so count yourself lucky and keep quiet."

Artemis took a step towards him and instantly half a dozen of the blasters were leveled at her.

"Go ahead, give me an excuse." He dared her coldly.

Diana quickly looked around, she wasn't overly concerned for either of their safety but her instincts were telling her this wasn't the place or time to pick a fight.

"Artemis, stand down."

Her companion stared at the troops for almost a full minute before finally stepping back. "As you command Princess." She replied not taking her eyes off the leader of the group.

The lead man looked at his troops and indicated Giganta and Cheetah. "Take them."

They observed the two women loaded up in a patty wagon but not before some kind of metal collars were strapped on there necks. The two Amazon's contemplation was broken by the deafening cheer taken up by the crowd behind police lines.

If either woman had looked at the back of that crowd they would have seen a familiar figure with short blond hair and crystalline blue eyes that at one time had looked upon them with love and friendship and were now observing them and the scene with a look of smoldering fury. Upon seeing her former sisters hatred, raw and molten consumed her and demanded release, every instinct in her was screaming to attack Diana and Artemis.

She was close to summoning her spear and giving into that instinct when she spotted the adornments Artemis was wearing; the gauntlet of Atlas and the winged sandals of Hermes.

She knew with certainty that she could beat them both under normal circumstances; however those two artifacts gave her pause, having used both before she knew firsthand what those items were capable of bestowing on their bearer. Even with the gifts Ares and Eris had bestowed upon her she was unsure if she was strong enough to take them on with the two artifacts present. Logically she knew Artemis wouldn't have the artifacts on her at all times and she would get another chance to kill them, but it did little to assuage the bloodlust roaring in her veins. Grumbling in frustration she slunk into the shadows and disappeared in a blur of speed.

* * *

><p>Diana awoke the next morning to the sight of Artemis walking into their room a large sack slung across her shoulder. Diana raised an eyebrow in question and in answer Artemis strode over to her bed and turned the sack upside down. Hundreds of letters and packages spilled out onto the bed.<p>

"These are all for you." She said dryly.

Diana eyes widened. "Are you sure there wasn't a mistake with the postage?"

"No, in fact there is another one in the hallway and several that the manager of the hotel won't release until you pick them up personally…one of them is from the Royal offices and one from the Prime Minister's office."

She returned a moment later and sure enough another sack filled to the brim with mail. She dumped it on the bed before going over to the minibar and rummaging around for something. "This is only the tip off the iceberg, your face is on every major news outlet, there have been dozens of calls for you to do an interview on television, you are trending worldwide on Yahoo and if you were to go downstairs you would see the paparazzi camped outside the hotel entrance waiting for an interview with Wonder Woman.

"With who?"

"You haven't seen? They are calling you Wonder Woman."

"This is troubling." Diana replied sitting down on her bed heavily.

"What do you mean? You don't like Wonder Woman?" Artemis asked still digging through the minibar

"No, what's bothering me is that two dozen innocent people _died_ last night and all anyone can focus on is me. They are more concerned with giving me a name than about a woman who has a monster inside of her she can't control. Is this what the outside world is truly like Artemis? Are their priorities so mixed up that they celebrate me as a hero instead of honoring their fallen?"

The elder Amazon stopped looking through the minibar and stood to see the pained and troubled look on her friends face.

"You were right to intervene, had you not have there would have been many more.

You are now a symbol, not only to the Amazon's and your gods but to this country and the world at large and they are now rallying behind you. It does not lessen the value of those sacrificed this is just the way they choose to deal with the tragedy, by celebrating the good that has come from it. This is just the nature of man, it was like this a thousand years ago and it will be like this a thousand years from now.

Diana smiled ruefully "You sound as if you know this from personal experience."

"I do." Was the only reply she got.

Artemis squeezed her companion's shoulders reassuringly. "Besides we can use this to our advantage, this is an excellent way to get your message to the world."

"That is true." Then a thought occurred to her. "You said the media is calling me Wonder Woman, what are they calling you?"

Artemis flushed and mumbled something that sounded distinctly like 'The Amazing Amazon Archer'

Diana blinked before falling over in a fit of laughter.

Her friend grumbled something unintelligible and went back to the minibar.

* * *

><p>It was three in the morning and Mercy stood on the balcony of Diana and Artemis' hotel room. Given the media circus surrounding Diana's act of heroism it hadn't been hard to track her down, Diana was plastered across every paper, web feed and television show in the country.<p>

They were on the thirtieth floor that would've been security enough for most people, however Mercy was not most people she had the powers of a godling at her disposal, if she wanted to go somewhere there weren't too many things on the planet that could stop her. Silently she wrenched the pathetic lock on the balcony doors and stepped through into the hotel room before closing it lightly behind her, lest she let a draft in with her and waken the room's occupants. She padded across the room where she saw Artemis of Bana_-_Mighdall the first Amazonian champion, the current _Shim'Tar _and perhaps the greatest fighter to ever come out of either Amazon tribe… laying askew in her bed snoring loudly with her mouth open.

Whatever she had been expecting…this wasn't it.

A quick glance at the area revealed the culprit; various empty bottles littered the area around her bed. Being a trained warrior Artemis always kept her weapons within easy reach, it had been something instilled into her for almost twelve hundred years and even a night of (if the amount of bottles were to be the judge) heavy drinking wasn't enough to break her of such an ingrained habit.

She hadn't even bothered to hide them, sitting next to her bow and quiver were the Gauntlet of Atlas and Sandals of Hermes. Mercy lifted both enchanted items and was ready to leave when she spotted Diana's sleeping form.

Narrowing her eyes she stealthily approached the Princess. In contrast to Artemis, Diana was sleeping much lighter; her breathing while deep, was the measured even pace of one who was ready to awaken at a moment's notice, the moonlight played across her features giving her an untroubled and innocent look.

Mercy tilted her head almost mesmerized by what she was seeing; there her prey was, defenseless and dead to the world. Somewhere deep in her gut the familiar

began to stir and take hold. Whether through conscious will or not she had actually summoned her spear and had the tip of the blade pointed at Diana's throat, it would be so easy to do it now… but it wasn't the proper time, she wanted…_needed_ Diana to see not only who was the better warrior but who was responsible for ending her life right as she plunged her spear inside her. Killing her in her sleep wouldn't accomplish either goal, closing her eyes with an air of regret she dispelled her weapon before slipping back out the balcony and away into the night.

When she came to a stop several miles away she examined her pilfered booty. Neither instrument were of particular use to her, she already possessed speed and strength greater than Diana's and usage of either artifact would have placed her abilities at a level that would have made them too difficult to effectively control. Looking upon the artifacts she had thought to destroy them and had set out to do that very thing but for some reason she had found herself unable to bring herself to do so. Frustrated she had done the next best thing and had flung them far into the sea, what happened to them from there she didn't care.

Satisfied and ready to begin the next stage of her plan she disappeared in a blur of speed.

* * *

><p>AN: That was my first simultaneous fight scene, it didn't come out quite as clean as I wanted but I'm hoping as I write more of them they'll come out smoother. I took some license with Cheetah and Giganta I tried to stay true to their origins in a way that is both familiar and bring them in line with the SVU canon. The biggest change obviously was making Cheetah a victim of circumstance as opposed to the greedy/vain character she's mostly established as. I wanted her to be more sympathetic and have this destructive force in her that she's aware of that repulses and disgusts the human part of her that remains whenever she assumes that form. I burrowed elements from a variety of sources including _Jekyll and Hyde, The Wolfman _and _The Hulk._

A good friend of mine even suggested that the way I've portrayed Giganta and Cheetah's relationship of them against the world has hints of _Thelma & Louise_ in it (I don't see it).

The H.D.S.A is a creation of mine that has a role to play down the line and I can tell you right now Lex has absolutely nothing to do with them.

With Cheetah the questions I kept coming back to with her are: Is evil the act itself or the intent behind the act? Do the ends justify the means? Not terribly original but I thought it'd be fun to explore.

My little niece came up with the Amazing Amazon Archer title for Artemis and I thought It was adorable so I put it in.

As always thanks for reading and I'll see you guys in a week.


	13. A Defining Moment: Part 2

**A/N Hey everyone long time no see, it's been about a year since I last posted a chapter and I'm sorry I've been away for so long. This chapter fought me the entire way, I just couldn't get it to work the way I wanted it too. I have and I'm not kidding about 20,000+ words that were written for this chapter saved on my hard drive. Some were used for the finished project, most weren't. I am back to writing and I don't foresee any reason I won't be posting more often so let's get to it. **

**Quick note for the chapter: A **_**yantok **_**is one of the primary weapons of the stick fighting martial art **_**Eskrima,**_** they are usually wielded in pairs and in comic lore are probably most widely known as the primary weapon of Nightwing.**

* * *

><p>Clark was at his desk at the Daily Planet, reading an article on <em>The Times <em>website. On the front page in block type read the headline:

**Wonder Woman rescues two dozen from apartment fire.**

Beneath the bold title was an even bolder picture of Wonder Woman with a pair of children in her arms, a blazing inferno raging in the background. Clark was reading the cover story with interest; ever since news of Wonder Woman had reached the Daily Planet's ears he'd been following stories with her in them, not that they were exactly a rarity.

For the past week headlines similar to the one he'd had been perusing had been showing up on various newspapers. Since the incident at the Tower Of London, Wonder Woman had been the buzz of the news world; she'd been sighted half a dozen times in five countries each time preforming daring rescues and offering aid. His interest in her was twofold; one he genuinely liked reading about his fellow heroes and two since the decision to expand the league he liked to keep an ear on the superhero community for potential recruits. After witnessing what had happened in London the idea that perhaps the Justice League had been too conservative in their scope had been knocking around his head; perhaps they could not only expand the roster but the reach of the Justice League to include other countries outside of America.

Truthfully if there was an international crisis the League would have a hard time offering any timely aid other than _J'onn,_ Bart, Zatanna and himself. If there was one thing growing up on a farm in Tornado alley had taught him it was the importance of preparation for emergencies and as talented and powerful of a group as the league was the fact was that having only four defenders capable of offering aid outside of America in a timely manner bothered him.

He was drawn from those thoughts by the unmistakable scent of warm breakfast pastries, turning his head he saw Cat making her way over to him, a paper bag in one hand and a cup holder containing two cups in it in the other. She placed both items on his desk and leaned in for a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning Cat."

"'Morning darling; I brought breakfast, you like apple danishes right?" She asked a cautious smile playing across her glossy lips.

Clark returned her smile. "Whatever you brought is fine."

"God, can you two do that somewhere else?" They both looked over and saw Lois walking to her desk, an irritable expression on her face and a gigantic cup of coffee in her right hand.

"Good morning Lois." Clark offered

"What's good about it?" She grumbled taking a swig of her coffee.

Cat (who had an inclination as to why Lois was being grouchy) hitched a fairly convincing fake smile on her face. "Hello Lois."

Cat's greeting apparently didn't even warrant a verbal response because Lois grunted a reply back, slid into her chair, booted up her computer and didn't look at either of them again.

Cat rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Clark. "Well I should probably get going, are you free for lunch?" If she had _slightly_ elevated her voice she didn't pay it any notice.

Clark pushed his glasses up the front of his nose with his forefinger and thought for a moment. "Yeah I should be, I'll come by your office and pick you up."

Cat bent down and kissed him again; this time on the lips. She stood winked at Clark and walked away with a definite sway to her hips, leaving Clark with a slight blush and a wide smile.

For her part Lois had determinedly been looking at her computer's boot screen, lest she say or do something that she'd no doubt end up regretting.

She may have been interested in Clark first but she hadn't made a move and it seemed that the opportunity had slipped from her grasp. Lois cared about him and his happiness, especially knowing all he did not only for Metropolis but the world at large and if Cat made him happy she wasn't going to try and stand in between that…even if Cat was a blonde bimbo without enough sense to come in out of the rain or apparently conduct her personal relationship with a coworker in a professional manner.

Lois was determined to act with grace and maturity even if all she wanted to do was wrap Cat's little empty head in a vice and give it a good squeeze… besides anyone with half a brain could see that Clark and Cat would never work out, their relationship was new and they were just infatuated with each other. Once that wore off one of two things would happen; Cat would become bored of him (she was betting that would happen) or Clark would realize Cat wasn't the right woman to share his secret with and he'd end the relationship.

Regardless of how it happened Lois planned to be there to pick up the pieces when it did, she'd let Clark slip away once. She wouldn't let it happen again. With a herculean effort she cut that train of thought and focused on today's workload which included proofreading a rather hard hitting interview that she'd conducted with the mayor's office about a recent string of foreclosures in the less than stellar real estate market of Hobs Bay.

About ten minutes later she was just starting to hit a stride when-

"Kent, Lane my office now!" Perry's bellowing voice cut through the din of the bullpen. Her earlier ire all but forgotten, Lois looked over at Clark and saw a blank look on his face, she mouthed 'what's going on' and he shrugged apparently having no idea what Perry wanted either.

Perry's secretary waved them through to the editor's office, why he even bothered with a secretary when he just shouted across the bullpen whenever he wanted something was a mystery that Lois had been pondering for quite some time.

As was his usual style Perry got straight to the point. "Listen up you two; I'm sure you've both heard by now about what happened in London a few days ago."

They both nodded.

"What you may not be aware of is that Wonder Woman and The Amazon Archer are being honored by the Queen of England in two weeks and then again by the Prime Minister, but before that she's arranged for a formal dinner and press conference next week. The event will be huge; black tie, major dignitaries, simulcasts online…the works. An old friend of mine who owes me a favor is the mother of the event planner and thanks to that I've managed to get a pair of invitations and secure an exclusive interview with Wonder Woman a week before the press conference… I think you can see where this is headed. "

Lois felt her heart jump and looked over at Clark in time to see a thoughtful expression settle onto his face.

"When do we leave?" She asked breathlessly.

Before Perry could answer however Clark cleared his throat. "Uh, Mr. White isn't this more a job for the foreign desk?"

If it would've had any effect on him whatsoever Lois would've stomped on Clark's foot in that moment. What was he playing at, she knew that he was just as interested in this assignment as she was and here he was throwing away a golden opportunity.

"We're in between correspondents at the moment and you two are the only two I have free, do you really want to turn down a story this big Kent?" Perry grumbled around his cigar.

Clark adjusted his glasses. "It's not that Mr. White, I just don't want to step on anybody's toes."

"You let me worry about bruised egos Kent, you and Lane just come back with a damn good story."

"Yes sir." He replied with a nod.

"To answer your earlier question Lane, this is more important than anything else you've got going on so clear your calendar for the next week, you're leaving tomorrow so take the rest of the day off to make preparations."

Lois mentally thought of the rescheduling she'd have to do and nodded. "Not a problem."

He reached into a drawer on his desk and slid a pair of airplane tickets and invitations across its surface. "Alright, you know what to do now get out there and do it."

Clark turned to leave but Lois stayed back. "Perry about expenses… "

He looked at her for a moment before he said the two words she'd been hoping for: "Bring receipts."

They walked back out to the bullpen and after making sure no one was paying attention Lois leaned in. "You knew didn't you?"

Clark looked down at her with a curious expression on his face that didn't quite reach his twinkling eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play stupid Smallville; you knew there wasn't a foreign correspondent available when you said that to Perry didn't you?"

Clark just smiled.

"What if he had taken you off the assignment?"

He shrugged. "You know Perry, he'll try to give the job to the best person, or people for the job. I didn't say I didn't want the assignment, I was just showing professional courtesy. Not to mention it would've been a little odd if I'd acted all gung-ho about it."

She looked at him half exasperated, half impressed.

"Next time don't play your games with my interviews." Lois said with a playful punch.

"I'll keep that in mind." He replied with an easy smile.

* * *

><p>They next day they met at Metropolis International Airport; Chloe, Jimmy (and to Lois' chagrin) Cat had come to see them off. After several minutes of goodbyes they were off (Cat pulled Clark aside for one last kiss and a promise to text her the second he got settled).<p>

They got through the security checks relatively quickly and other than a young girl spilling her juice on Lois' shoes and being seated next to a portly elder woman who kept going on (and on and on) about how Clark reminded her of her husband 'umpteen' years ago the flight was uneventful. Seven and a half mind numbing hours later they were taxiing into London City Airport and even though neither of them were tired when taking into account the five hour time difference between Metropolis and London and that they had an early start in the morning it was agreed upon that it would be best to check into the hotel and call it a night.

In short order they were in a taxi and zooming down the streets of London, both of them taking in the scenery. Thanks to her father being stationed here Lois had been to London before but that had been over a decade ago and she hadn't done much in the way of sightseeing, being more interested in the seedier side of the city. Clark on the other hand had never visited London, he'd passed over the city of course, but noticing interesting architecture from two miles in the air wasn't anything like being in the thick of it, even for a person with his senses. They pulled to a stop at an intersection and Lois noticed a small tent city in the parking lot of a fancy hotel; her curiosty piqued she asked the driver what was going on and he told them that that was the hotel Wonder Woman was staying in.

Clark's looked over as well. "It looks like they've been out there for a while."

The cabbie nodded. "Since she recovered the Crown Jewels; you should've seen it the first couple of days...there was almost a thousand people out here, these are just the paparazzi hoping for an exclusive."

Lois rolled her eyes. "Some people will do anything for a story."

Clark cleared his throat and chose to focus on the tents instead of pointing out that had Perry not secured an exclusive for them then Lois would no doubt have used that sharp mind of hers to cook up a scheme that ( probably broke a couple of laws) involved sneaking into the hotel and securing the interview herself.

She heard the pointed cough and turned "What?"

"Just needed to clear my throat." He replied lightly

She looked at him suspiciously for a moment before shrugging mentally.

Ten minutes later the cab pulled into the hotel and while Lois took care of the fare Clark unloaded their suitcases.

"I can't believe we're really here in London, you know?" Lois said as they walked into the hotel

"It is kind of surreal." He agreed looking around the lobby and taking note of the impressive decorum and rich dark woods. "Exactly how much did Perry allow for expenses?

She smiled slightly. "Enough." And with that cryptic answer slipped over to the front desk and checked them in.

They rode the elevator up in companionable silence and walked down the hall to their respective rooms.

"Well I guess this is where we part ways; I'll see you tomorrow bright and early. I've got a full day planned for us, so get some rest Smallville."

"Goodnight." He replied with a bemused expression.

He let himself into his room. While the room wasn't luxurious it was well furnished and comfortable, he placed his suitcase on the bed and was in the process of taking out his cellphone to text Cat and let her know that he'd arrived safely when a loud shrieking noise shattered the silence of his room. On reaction he reached up and covered his ears but it didn't help, the noise continued on for several seconds and just as it was becoming unbearable it vanished as suddenly as it had appeared.

_*Help me*_

He lowered his hands from his ears and turned to see where the voice had come from, the words weren't quite being spoken but they weren't telepathic (as far as he could tell) in origin either. The voice was feminine and seemed to come to him like an ethereal whisper on the wind and no matter how he adjusted his senses he couldn't hone in on a direction it was coming from.

_*Can anyone hear me? I don't know where I am but it's dark and I can't move…please someone help me*_

There was a definite not of fear in the voice and it seemed to be fading, in an desperate attempt to see what was happening he projected all his senses out as far as they could go. It was something he didn't do often as it was… well the closest human comparison would be sensory overload. Slowly and painfully he filtered through the onslaught of information until his senses were back at their normal levels and despite training all of his senses around the room and the surrounding area he didn't see anyone or anything that needed his help.

Robbery in progress across town…Police had the perpetrator in custody.

Fender bender three blocks away…no injuries.

DUI about three miles away, the suspect was submitting to a (and by the sound of it, falling) a field sobriety test.

The odd thing was that the noise was similar to the piercing whistle that the Kryptonian Stones of Power gave off whenever one had been recovered… but that was impossible, he had recovered all the stones and assembled the Fortress in the process. Could there be a fourth stone Jor-El hadn't told him about? He was sure the noise was similar, perhaps the sound was Kryptonian in origin as well.

The thought that there could possibly be more Kryptonian artifacts on Earth was unnerveing; the stones had caused their fair share of trouble before he had managed to assemble them, culminating in a second meteor shower over Smallville, several deaths and the arrival of Brainiac. If someone had found an artifact and managed to activate it…well he needed to get to it as quickly as possible.

But his experiences with the artifacts didn't explain the voice he had heard…or hadn't heard. This wasn't getting him anywhere and unlike when he had been dealing with the stones he knew where he could go to get some answers.

He looked at the clock on the wall; it was half past one. He could take a quick jaunt down to the Fortress and if it turned out to be nothing he could be back in time for morning. He only needed a couple hours of sleep anyway, mind made up he changed into his uniform and was rocketing up and away a few seconds later. He climbed through the atmosphere, normally this was his favorite way to gaze at the heavens but his mind was so preoccupied he didn't even notice the beauty that lay before him, at the edge of space he stopped for a moment adjusted his course and set off on a ballistic path for Antarctica creating quite the show for a passing surveillance satellite. Fifteen minutes later he was floating in front of the towering crystal spires of the Fortress.

At first the Fortress had been an unwelcome addition for him, a constant and poignant reminder of a heritage that he hadn't wanted and had tried to discard for so long. Then it had inspired feelings of melancholy in him; a sterile monument to a dead planet that only served to remind him off just how alone he was in the Universe. But that too had changed, as he'd matured he had wanted to learn more of his people and his heritage and now he fully embraced and accepted the Fortress as the final gift to him from his parents and the storehouse of the greatest source of knowledge on Earth and possibly the galaxy.

He landed softly in the snow in front of the giant doors that were embossed with the familial crest of the House of El. He touched the door and the Kryptonian biometrics inside the crystal like material read his DNA signature and after a moment the doors slid back, admitting him entrance. The warm air inside the Fortress rushed out whipping his cape to and fro as he stepped across the threshold.

A moment later the doors slid shut behind him and the inner lights of the Fortress came up.

"Welcome, my son."

The preserved intelligence of Jor-El served as guardian to the Fortress and was the main way to interface with the main CPU's. Clark looked at the hologram, much like the Fortress his relationship and view of his biological father had changed considerably. He still considered Jonathan Kent as his true father but the anger and petulance he had felt for Jor-El had long since given way to an honest respect for the man who had sired him.

"Jor-El, I need to know if there are any Kryptonian artifacts on Earth other than the ones you've told me of."

There was a momentary pause as the Fortress computers worked. "No."

Undaunted Clark continued. "Have there been any transmissions of Kryptonian origin originating anywhere on the planet?"

A moment of silence and then..."There have not."

Clark let out a frustrated sigh.

"What is troubling you Kal-El?"

Clark gave a quick rundown of what had happened and his father's A.I. was silent for a few moments.

"Interesting,"

Somehow Clark had been expecting a little more than that. "Care to elaborate?"

"What you described is consistent with the awakening of a Kryptonian artifact; however there is nothing in my database that corresponds with Kryptonian artifacts on Earth, active or otherwise."

Clark rubbed his chin. "Is it possible that there could be other artifacts that you are unaware of?"

"Unknown but unlikely, I will set Fortress sensors to search for any transmissions incoming on all known Kryptonian frequencies and alert you accordingly; will there be anything else Kal-El?"

"No that's all…thank you Jor-El." Clark hesitated, his business at the Fortress had concluded quicker than he thought it would but he didn't have to be back for a few hours still, so why not make the most of this trip? "Actually I have some more questions about Krypton, would it be possible to review some of my ancestor's logs?"

He could've sworn he saw a look of pride flash briefly across the holograms face. "As you wish Kal-El."

* * *

><p>It was the day of Diana's press conference and dinner. She should have been excited, after all she was about to get the chance to address the whole world and complete a large part of her gods given quest. Instead she was watching Artemis out the side of her eyes, and any excitement she might have felt had been replaced with honest concern for the elder woman.<p>

Artemis was on a hair trigger, although given what had transpired Diana didn't blame her in the least. The day after the press had christened Diana Wonder Woman the volatile woman had awoken Diana as she had been literally tearing the room apart in a state of panic. As long as she'd known Artemis, she'd never known her sister to panic and that had immediately sent off alarm bells in Diana's mind.

After she'd managed to calm Artemis down enough to find out what was wrong, she completely understood why her sister had been so agitated; both the Gauntlet of Atlas and the Winged Sandals of Hermes were missing. The first thought had been that they had been robbed, but a thorough investigation of their suite revealed that nothing else had been taken, Diana was still in possession of Hephaestus sword, Artemis had her bow and quiver and all the gold they had been exchanging for local currency remained accounted for. Whoever had absconded with the gauntlet and sandals had targeted them specifically. Their door hadn't been forced and the hotel's computer hadn't registered the door being opened the night in question, in addition they had interrogated the staff and reviewed the security tapes and nothing had come up, it was as if both artifacts had simply vanished.

Artemis had spent the rest of the day alternating between a morose depression, a skittish panic and a seething fury and with good reason; Queen Hippolyta had entrusted those artifacts to her and the loss they represented went far and above the abilities they granted and went towards the very center of Amazon culture. If she didn't find them it meant that when they returned to Paradise Island Artemis was facing at the very least complete disgrace and exile from the Amazon tribes, all her accomplishments would be erased from any record and any honors afforded her would be forfeit. And that would only be if Queen Hippolyta was feeling particularly merciful, more than likely she would be executed and buried as a disgraced warrior, denied the funeral pyre as was the tradition for an honored Amazon. Instead she'd left to rot in the ground and forced to wander the shores of the Underworld for eternity.

The very idea sent shivers across her powerful shoulders.

"These clothes are unbecoming for a warrior!" Artemis snapped at an aide who had handed her the dress she was expected to wear for the gala. The poor woman squeaked in obvious fear and backed away from her as fast as was possible without breaking into a full run.

"Artemis." There was a definite note of warning in Diana's voice. She was no more in favor of the pageantry than her friend but that dislike was tempered by the realization that she was a stranger in a foreign land with strange customs and if this was required to take the next step in her mission she would do so.

The elder woman matched stares with Diana for a moment but relented with an irritable huff. "Very well, but I get to carry my bow with me." She would capitulate to the inefficient dress, the gaudy jewelry and the ridiculous heeled shoes but on this last point she refused to be moved, especially given that someone had managed to so grievously breech their security. If they intended to strike again she had no intention of giving them an easy target.

"Fine." Diana agreed realizing the finality in her friend's tone.

Just then the door to their dressing room opened and a young woman in her early thirties with short blonde hair walked into the room. "Is everything alright ladies?"

Artemis harrumphed but other than that didn't say anything. Already used to Artemis mood swings the woman turned to Diana.

"Everything is fine Etta." The princess supplied.

Etta Candy was a personal assistant and public relations specialist. She'd been assigned to Diana and Artemis by the P.R firm that was in charge of running the dinner. She was a short heavyset woman with a quick wit and a large personality that Diana found endearing.

"That's good." She looked down at her smartphone and tapped the screen a few times. "Okay we're on schedule. You have a photo shoot in an hour, followed by the dinner and afterward an interview with two representatives from the Daily Planet. "

"The Daily Planet?"

"An American newspaper, it's run out of Metropolis."

"Ah yes, I remember now. Who are they sending?"

Etta consulted her smartphone again. "Um let's see… a miss Lois Lane and a mister Clark Kent."

"I'm familiar with Ms. Lane's work, but I've never read anything by Mr. Kent."

"I can download some of his articles and have them to you in a few minutes." Etta replied already reaching for a tablet computer.

Diana may have become accustomed to the technology of the outside world during the months of her travels but she still got a secret thrill every time she witnessed it in action. A few moments later Etta handed the tablet with said articles to Diana. "There you go."

Diana smiled warmly. "Thank you Etta, You have made this whole experience much more enjoyable."

"That's what I'm here for. If either of you need anything else just let me know." She replied with a shy smile as she vacated the room.

Diana consulted the small computer and read a few articles by Clark Kent, it appeared he mainly reported on human interest and local issues that affected the unheard and forgotten citizens of Metropolis a part of her admired that. He would likely be the one who focused on the scope of her mission while Lois Lane would probably try and learn about her on a personal level.

Reflecting on the events to come she was sure that this would be a night to remember.

* * *

><p>Clark entered into the hotel lobby clad in a perfectly cut black tuxedo, he had forgone the traditional bowtie in favor of a more modern long tie. His hair had been slicked back; he was wearing a pair of wire frame glasses as opposed to the thicker ones he usually favored, a dark pair of soft leather shoes that were polished and crisp completed his image.<p>

She'd gotten so used to seeing him in disguise, either at work or as Superman but this; this was closer to the Clark she'd met back in Smallville all those years ago. Lois raised an eyebrow in appreciation. "Well Smallville, I have to say you clean up nicely."

Clark got a good look at Lois; she was wearing a midnight blue, backless evening gown, a sheer blue shawl with matching heels and a tiny purse. Her hair had been done up in sleek braided bun.

He smiled _that_ crooked smile she was so fond of. "Thanks, you look great Lois."

It wasn't a gushing description of her beauty but a tiny blush stained Lois' cheeks nonetheless and she smiled shyly. "Thanks Small- Clark."

"Well if you're ready to go, I'll go call a cab."

"No need, I hired a town car."

He raised an eyebrow. "A town car?"

"Come on we're on the Planet's bill and I wanted to arrive in style." At his unconvinced look she sighed. "Trust me, at these type of parties appearance is everything and as we're representing the Planet, we need to make an impression."

They didn't have to wait long before a beautiful 1950's style Cadillac town car pulled up smoothly in front of the hotel and a sharply dressed driver stepped out and held the door to the backseat for them. He helped her into the car before sliding in after her.

The interior was done in a rich two tone leather that Lois was looking at appreciatively. "Oh yeah, these bad boys never go out of style. Can I pick em' or what?"

In short order they were being driven through London's busy streets. Clark was unsure how he was going to handle this situation, he may have been here in an official capacity but he was also interested in recruiting Wonder Woman to the Justice League. Did he use the direct approach and just float in as Superman and request to talk to her, or did he gauge her first in his civilian garb and approach later? Those and other ideas played across his mind and before he knew what had happened they had arrived.

The event was huge; most of the heads of the world's major powers were in attendance or had sent representatives in their stead all with accompanying security and staff, all in all the whole thing was reminiscent of a G-8 summit. The event was being simulcast on T.V and the internet, in over a hundred countries; it was a broadcast that would easily rival the Olympics or World Cup in terms of sheer viewership.

Lois and Clark had arrived a few hours early and with good reason, the number of security checkpoints they had to go through was dizzying; there had been a couple of close calls but thanks to some quick thinking and discrete use of his super breath Clark had managed to get through unmolested.

They stepped into the main hall; a large crowd of well-dressed, famous and important people greeted them. Some were milling to and fro, others were enjoying a beverage and others still were chatting with varying degrees of excitement.

Clark immediately noticed Lex on the other side of the room chatting up a group of business men and women. He nervously adjusted his glasses, endeavoring to stay away from his former friend.

"Wow, everyone whose anyone's here." She scanned the room in apparent bemusement. "I don't see Superman anywhere; guess he didn't get an invite."

"He's got a big enough ego as it is, it probably would've gone to his head." Clark replied with a shrug.

She punched him lightly on the shoulder and he responded with an amused smile, any further banter was cut off as Lois was pulled aside by one of her dad's army buddies.

That was more or less the story of the next hour; Lois being spotted by bigwigs and being pulled aside and dragging Clark along with her. He was somewhat surprised at the number of connections Lois had but he supposed being a hotshot reporter and having an army general for a father probably didn't hurt with getting introductions with the rich and famous.

"Lois…Lois Lane?"

Lois grimaced before turning around and placing a very convincing fake smile on her face. "Hello Bruce."

A very dashing man in his late twenties or early thirties with black hair and robin egg blue eyes smiled brightly at Lois, took her hand and kissed it. "It's been a while…Cabo wasn't it?"

"Yes, I think so." There was a note of exasperation in her voice.

"How could you forget? You, me, my yacht and-" He seemed to notice Clark for the first time and put on the same charming smile he had earlier. "Oh who's your friend?"

"Bruce Wayne, Clark Kent."

"Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne."

Clark of course recognized the name; Bruce Wayne was almost as famous for his vast fortune as for his many dalliances with various heiresses, celebrities and super models. Clark offered his hand and Wayne took it between both of his in a rather weak grip, his goofy smile never faltering. "A pleasure to meet you Mr. Kent."

"Likewise Mr. Wayne."

"Clark is a co-worker of mine. Bruce is the…" she left the sentancee hanging for a moment as she cast around for a proper word "He's an old acquaintance." She finally settled on.

Bruce's eyebrows rose amusedly. "Just an 'acquaintance', oh Lois, you wound me."

"Correct me if I'm wrong Bruce but you're not exactly…that involved with Wayne Industries, so what are you doing here?" She asked sidestepping his statement altogether.

"Honestly I found out about all this about a day ago… I was in Aruba when I got the notification; something about Wayne Industries interests or something…anyway it seems the board of directors thought it'd be best if the face of the company made an appearance, so here I am." He paused for a moment before spotting someone over Clark's shoulder and giving a jovial wave. "Ah if you'll excuse me I believe that's Ted Kord I see… I have some business with him, a bet to settle and all that… A pleasure as always Lois, we'll have to get together for lunch some time, it was nice meeting you as well Mr. Kent."

They watched as Bruce walked away and Clark looked over at Lois wryly. "He was nice, did-

"I know him from a long time ago." Lois cut across brusquely.

"That's all you have to say?" Clark asked with a raised eyebrow

"That's all there is to say, It's not what you think."

"Clark shrugged innocently. "I didn't say anything."

"It's _not._" She reiterated forcefully.

He nodded. "Alright,"

He reached over to a passing waiter and secured a shrimp cocktail, counting down in his head as he did so. _Five, four, three, two, on-_

"It was one time, I met him on vacation. I was drunk and I didn't know it was him until after the fact." She blurted out.

His mouth was full of shrimp so he could only reply with a interested "Hmm?"

Lois rolled her eyes and snagged one of his shrimp. "Forget it. Look I've seen way to many people I know, so let's just go get a table before I'm spotted again."

They were seated in the center of the auditorium with a group of businessmen who were in a pissing contest on how much they had earned last quarter. It was so much white noise to Clark, he wasn't interested in the kind of world many of these people lived in, fortunately dinner arrived soon after and he could focus on the amazing food.

About twenty minutes after dessert was served the lights dimmed and from behind a curtain two women walked on stage. There was a loud round of applause and Wonder Woman smiled briefly as she took her position in front of the podium.

Clark was stupefied, he had seen some beautiful women in his time; he worked with them on a regular basis and was lucky enough to be currently dating one but these two were stunning on a whole different level… it was almost unnatural. He'd seen pictures of both of them of course, but they didn't begin to do either woman justice

Wonder Woman in particular caught his eye; her features were at the same time classic, timeless and flawless. Her skin was a sun kissed bronze, her hair was luxurious and dark with a hint of untamed wildness, she had full lips and her eyes were the deepest shade of sapphire he could recall seeing, almost a liquid black…those eyes especially…he could easily imagine just…just…He shook his head and re focused. A quick glance around showed that most of the men and a few of the women were having a similar reaction and he felt a strange sense of relief that he wasn't the only person affected by the beauty of these women. One man in particular caught his attention, his mouth was hanging open and his face wore a vacant expression.

Even over the applause his keen ears picked up snatches of conversation from people around him.

"Wow, they're a pair of lookers…"

"Her hair is so beautiful…"

"Do you think those things are real, they look fake to me..."

"I'd love to know who did their dresses…"

"That, that's what I want my nose to look like!"

"I got two words for ya Jim: Hubba-Hubba…"

"Is that a quiver on the tall one's shoulder?"

That last question caught his attention and upon closer inspection he saw that the redheaded woman indeed had a quiver and bow slung across her right shoulder; it made an interesting contrast to say the least. She reminded Clark of a Secret Service agent, her posture was alert, her feature were set in a poker face _J'onn_ would've envied and her vivid green eyes scanned the crowd looking for any potential trouble.

The applause died down and Wonder Woman began to speak. "Good evening and thank you for coming. Many of you know me as Wonder Woman but my name is Diana and I am the Princess of the Amazon Nation."

Her English was excellent but a slight accent could be detected behind her words. Her voice had a rich, throaty timbre that made her words seem as if they caressed her tongue as they left her mouth. "For over a millennia my people have lived isolated from the outside world, I have journeyed from my home in the hopes that my people, and the rest of the world may-

Any further words were cut off by muffled shouts and gunfire coming from the back of the hall, every head an camera turned around in time to see the doors being kicked in and a woman walking over the threshold, beyond her bodies of armed guards could be seen laying askew.

The woman cast a tall and imposing figure, she was clad in an ensemble of what appeared to be black and red leather studded with metal rivets.

"Diana….it does my heart good to see you again!" Her voice boomed out over the stunned silence of the crowd.

With absolute confidence strode between the rows of people, headed towards the podium an odd smile on her face. Diana was unable to believe what she was seeing; she spared a look at Artemis and saw a similar look of disbelief on the elder warriors face.

"Mercy, is that you?"

Mercy spread her arms wide. "Indeed it is."

"What are you doing here?"

"I've come to reclaim what should have been mine in the first place; the title of champion." She had kept walking forward and passed the first line of tables. Doing what they'd been paid to the hired security men stepped forward as one, drew their weapons and a moment later a dozen laser sights danced on various locations across Mercy's body.

"Stand down!" Artemis shouted.

Mercy looked down, saw the laser lights, looked back at the guards and laughed. "If you value your lives, I'd listen to her."

Out in the audience Lois felt Clark bristle beside her, she leaned closer and whispered at him harshly. "What the hell's going on?"

"I don't know, but stay alert and be ready to move if I tell you too." He replied, his eyes never leaving the blonde woman whom Wonder Woman had identified as Mercy.

"As I said, I am here to reclaim what should be mine."

Diana stepped from behind the podium. "You speak nonsense."

"Do I? For months I have been watching you while you follow the advice of Olympus and Hippolyta. Both will only lead to our people's destruction, we shouldn't be making peace with these fools, we should be ruling them!"

The person speaking looked like Mercy but the words were unlike anything she'd ever heard spoken from her friend. While there were Amazon's opposed to the idea of opening Themyscira to the rest of the world Mercy had never counted herself among them.

Artemis stepped forward a hard look on her face. "Mercy, stop this or I will stop you."

"Spare me your idle threats Artemis, without the gauntlet and the sandals you are a non-factor in this confrontation."

Artemis' eyes narrowed. "How do you…It was you! Where are they Mercy?"

Mercy shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "I don't know, probably at the bottom of the ocean by now."

"Mercy you're being controlled by Ares and-"

Mercy cut her off. "You don't understand _sister _I willingly gave myself to him and Eris. Ares has shown me the truth and the errors of following Olympus and now I've come for my rematch, on the evening of your greatest triumph; in front of the whole world we will prove which of us is superior."

"I won't fight you Mercy."

Mercy's face twisted in anger. "You are wrong _Princess_." She spat the title like a filthy word. "You will face me, or these people will die."

There were screams and gasps of terror at Mercy's proclamation.

Mercy raised her right hand in the air and waved it, around her pillars of fire shot out of the ground, they appeared by the dozens and when they disputed creatures unlike anything seen on Earth had appeared.

"Behold sisters, Ares dogs of war." They vaguely resembled dogs; they were nearly four feet tall and nearly six feet from head to tail. Their tails were barbed and forked, reddish brown fur around their bodies. Fangs nearly a foot long glinted in the light, smoke issued forth from their muzzles and glowing red eyes told of the destruction these creatures longed to unleash.

The blonde Amazon looked up on the stage. "Last chance Diana."

"Don't do this Mercy; it's still not too late." Diana pleaded.

A chilling caricature of a grin ghosted across Mercy's features. "Attack."

It was as if a switch were thrown as one the beasts moved forward, Diana knew that she might still be able to talk these creatures down and prevent anyone from getting hurt, but before she could make a move, there was a blur of speed and Mercy was standing in front of her. "Assume your champion's uniform Diana, this is a contest and the necessities must be observed. I want there to be no doubt, which of us is superior."

The look on Mercy's face told her that it was pointless to try and reason with her any further. She was no fool and as much as it pained her it seemed there would be no peaceful resolution. She regretfully spun and the familiar cocoon of light enveloped her, when it dissipated she was in her uniform, that accomplished she assumed a fighting stance a determined look on her face. She may not have sought this fight but she would not allow her feelings to cloud her judgment, she needed to take Mercy down as quickly as possible. Her duty as champion and training as princess demanded no less of her…and so the two old friends did battle.

* * *

><p>There was a battle unfolding and instead of armor, Artemis only had this feeble dress, the useless jewelry and these damnable shoes, "Curse these shoes, to Hades!" She growled kicking off the detested footwear. She saw that Diana was occupied with Mercy. As much as she wanted to jump into the fray her training dictated that she allowed Diana to handle Mercy until the other threats had been neutralized.<p>

There were people running to and fro trying to avoid becoming a target to the creatures Mercy had identified as Ares' dogs of war; with so many moving targets the probability of an innocent accidently being hurt was too high for her to justify using her bow, but she was not deterred. Kicking a table on its side she chopped down on one of the legs breaking the wood where her hand had impacted. She repeated the process and she twirled her new found weapons like a pair of _yantok_ testing their heft and balance, they certainly weren't of the same quality she had come to appreciate in weaponry but under the circumstances she was reasonably satisfied.

She picked out a pair of beasts menacing a pair of women and charged at her foes.

* * *

><p>Clark's eyes quickly took in what was going on and he shot a glance at Lois.<p>

"Get moving Lois. I'll try and get everyone out."

He ran off into the crowd a moment later a familiar blur of red and blue appeared in front of a pack of about a dozen hounds. The blur disappeared and Superman was releasing gale force winds from his mouth causing the hounds scatter like tenpins.

Staff security was trying their best to aid but they were only succeeding in getting in the way, one man already lay dead, his face savaged by Ares' dogs. Superman threw another off of a young boy, picked up the scared child and deposited him with his parents, who had been yelling for their son.

"Timmy, thank God." The father swept the young boy up

"Thank you Superman, God bless you." The mother cried.

"My pleasure ma'am, take care of him and when you get outside call for emergency services." he said before disappearing in a blur.

* * *

><p>Lois was shepherding frightened gaggles of people out the doors attempting to stop the panicking mass of people from becoming a full on riot. A man easily in his seventies was trying to hobble to the exit but the crowd surrounding him was jostling him to and fro in their eagerness to get to safety. Lois caught sight of him as he went down, she muttered a curse and elbowed her way through the crowd and helped the elder gentleman to his feet.<p>

Turning, she saw one of the hellish creatures had broken away from the pack and was advancing on them.

She looked over and saw Clark disappear under a gaggle of hounds, the redheaded Amazon was fighting half a dozen and Wonder Woman was dealing with the blond woman in the black and red.

She was on her own but Lois Joanne Lane would be damned if some overgrown mutt was going to take her down. If sheer fortitude and gumption could have been manifested as power, Lois would've easily overpowered the creature, unfortunately that wasn't the case.

The beast tackled her and barred its fangs preparing to rip her throat out, suddenly there was a sluicing of air and a black projectile hit the hound on its head. It didn't knock the beast out but it caused it to look up, a moment later a heavy black boot entered Lois' field of vision and connected solidly with the beast head causing it to slump over into unconsciousness.

Before she could register what was going on, the unconscious beast had been thrown off her and a large figure was standing over her.

Her first impression was she was looking at a demon, but she blinked and saw it was a man clad in an outfit of deep black, an ebon cape flared behind him adding a sense of presence to him, an oval crest with a yellow bat was in the center of his chest. A horned cowl was over the top half of his face ; his eyes were obscured by opaque lenses. He bent down and offered an armored hand, her breath caught and she realized what had happened. She took the hand and was pulled to her feet.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a voice that was best described as sounding like low rumbling thunder.

"Yes." She responded still somewhat breathless.

"Good, now get out of here, I'll cover you both." He turned to leave.

"Wait a second, who are you?"

He spared here a quick glance. "Batman." Then he was off running across the hall his cape fanning out in his wake.

Lois stared after him for a moment and felt a shiver go down her spine before she snapped back to her senses, grabbed the older man's arm and headed to the exit.

* * *

><p>"I'm stronger than you, I'm faster than you and I'm a better fighter than you. You can't win Diana."<p>

Diana fell back not disagreeing with the first two statements, Mercy's strikes made Cheetah's blows feel like love taps in comparison, but Diana was giving as good as she got.

Wonder Woman flew at Mercy and grappled with her before directing them into and through the ceiling of the banquet hall, outside Mercy broke the grip and the two of them traded fierce blows in the air. Down on the ground onlookers could hardly keep track of the two of them. In fact they were moving at such a pace that the booming report of their blows were nearly a full second behind the actual exchanges.

Back inside the hall Artemis had seen Diana take flight and she once again lamented the loss of the artifacts, more than anything else she wanted to rise up and give Mercy a piece of her mind. How could one of her closest friends betray their people so completely and side with Ares? The very thought made her sick.

She couldn't focus on those thought to long, a fresh gaggle of beasts advanced on her and Artemis was reminded of a pack of wolves coordinating before bringing down a large kill.

A blur of blue and red shot across her field of vision scattering the beasts like tenpins. The blur slowed and standing in front of her with his cape fluttering into place was Superman. She'd seen pictures of him of course but seeing him in person was a completely different story. He cut a majestic figure in his uniform and he radiated a quiet kind of confidence that she had seen in only a few people before and despite herself she found that she was grudgingly impressed by his dramatic entrance.

"Where's Wonder Woman?"

In the background she could hear the sounds of Diana's battle with Mercy. Her warrior's pride and sense of duty warred briefly with the need to aid her sister. "She is outside, combating Mercy, I will handle the rest of these creatures… please assist her." Those last three words came at something of a price; she had been charged with Diana's safety and asking for assistance and from a man no less felt like a personal failure. Despite that she was wise enough to see that the situation had escalated to a point that was beyond her current scope. She watched Superman take off and hoped she had made the right choice.

* * *

><p>Mercy fight with Diana had carried them to a rooftop over a mile away from the banquet hall.<p>

Rather than a showing of sheer dominance Mercy had imagined this contest would be, she was barely managing to stay ahead of Diana. She had managed to clip Diana with a savage kick to the side that had almost certainly cracked a rib or two. But she in turn had taken a nasty elbow across the jaw that had left the right side of her face swollen and red.

She had come so far, she couldn't lose holding out her right hand she summoned her spear. Much like in their fight on Themyscira Mercy brought the spear up, around and behind her back and beckoned for her opponent to come at her.

Wonder Woman didn't have a weapon to counter the spear but she was undeterred, she was fighting for the soul of her friend and Hades himself couldn't stop her from reclaiming such a precious prize. Balancing on the balls of her feet she raised her guard.

Both began to circle each other, Wonder Woman being in the disadvantageous position struck first with a straight kick that was picked off by the staff section of the spear. Mercy retracted her weapon, skirted back and swung her weapon in a horizontal arc aimed at Wonder Woman's head.

Wonder Woman brought her gauntlets up and crossed them, the spear came in fast and true but the protective field of the aegis deflected the weapon in a spectacular shower of sparks and pushed it away as solidly as if the Amazon Princess had been wielding a shield.

Both fell back for a moment and this time Mercy struck first with a straight thrust at her former friend's midsection.

Side stepping the attack Wonder Woman pushed the spear out and tried to close the distance between her and Mercy, but she'd been so focused on protecting herself from the weapon she didn't see Mercy's knee rising to impact her solidly in the gut. Gasping for air and stumbling back Diana was defenseless as Mercy swung the blunt end of the spear with all her might and brought it across her face. The princess of the Amazon's fell back in an unconscious heap.

Mercy's heart soared she had done it, all that was left was the _coup de grâce_. She twirled her spear around and lined the point up with Diana's chest, pulled back and… stopped. Just like with the artifacts the other day she couldn't do it, this is what she wanted wasn't it? Yes, yes it was just a fondness for Diana from her past life that had stayed her hand; that had to be it. She had bested Diana, the spoils of victory were hers to claim she could do this; _had_ to do this. With a growl she raised the spear again…

"That's far enough." Mercy turned and saw Superman floating down to land on the roof solidly.

The frustration she had been feeling earlier flared up, white hot in intensity and here was a target she could take it out on

"I don't know why you're doing this but it needs to stop, now."

"This has nothing to do with you son of swine. You are interfering in affairs that do not concern you."

"When you threaten an innocent crowd of people and attempt to kill a hero like Wonder Woman, I'd say your affairs just _became_ my business." He replied not moving an inch.

She presented her spear horizontally before her like a staff. "Come then; if you are so eager to die I'll gladly send you to Hades."

He charged throwing a punch that she blocked with the weapon.

Thinking to melt the spear he fired his heat vision, but it seemed to have little to no effect on the weapon, that was his first clue that Mercy's spear was no ordinary weapon.

"I admit that I've been curious about you, ever since I've journeyed to this world I have heard the many claims of your greatness Superman,"

She began pushing forward alternating between thrust's and slashes with the spear.

"Your feats of strength and bravery,"

He slapped a kick away that had been aimed at his midsection and before he could counter the spear had reappeared aimed at his head. He was staying ahead of her barrage but just barely and it was taking everything he had to avoid getting hit.

"Tales of your accomplishments and how you are the greatest defender that patriarch's word has to offer,"

Mercy retracted her spear and took half a step back. Thinking that her momentum had been played out and that he could establish his own offense Clark took a step forward but it had been a feign; in less than the blink of an eye Mercy had transferred the spear to her dominant hand and lunged forward.

Superman's world exploded in pain unlike anything he'd ever felt as Mercy's spear plunged deeply into his right pectoral muscle, slid past the breastbone and into his lung. He gripped the weapon in trembling hands, but seeing this she pushed deeper and leaned forward bringing her face within inches of his shocked expression a bloodthirsty grin on her features. "I see they _were_ just tales…pathetic." She hissed and kicked him off of the blade of her spear. He fell back blood spurting wildly from the grisly wound.

Satisfied that the last obstacle was out of her way Mercy turned, ready to finish her business with Diana. When she was done with Diana she would track down Artemis and perhaps if she had enough time she'd kill the Batman as well.

She never saw the punch coming. Diana had regained consciousness right before Superman had been stabbed and was up and moving as Mercy had kicked him off the spear.

Mercy reeled and Diana not allowing such a dangerous foe to regain her footing; pressed her attack. She hit Mercy with a left, a right and then a short but powerful uppercut to the gut, knocking the wind out of her and doubling her over in pain. Mercy was reeling and desperately trying to regain her footing, she needed only a few seconds to recover but she knew she had perhaps half a second before Diana resumed her assault an assault that would no doubt continue until she fell into unconsciousness, the thought that she'd been bested when she had victory in her grasp burned in her like the hottest of flames.

Her visison cleared and she saw a torrent of flame rise in front of her and for a moment she thought that perhaps in her anger she had somehow conjured it, a moment later the flame dissipated and she understood. Standing in front of her like a perverse guardian angel was Ares' eldest son Deimos…the god of terror. Deimos was tall, well over six feet and powerfully built. He was clad in plate armor that was the color of ebony, a no doubt well used sword hung at his hip ready to be drawn. His most distinguishing feature was his beard; it was a nest of hissing and slithering snakes. Even if it weren't for the snakes his position of the embodiment of terror would have been evident from the look in his soulless black eyes. He held out a hand, palm forward to Diana. "That, will be enough."

His voice wasn't loud and commanding; it was insubstantial and whispered, much like the force he commanded. But also like that force it was impossible to ignore.

Diana wanted to launch herself at him and demand answers so badly about what he and more importantly his father had done to Mercy that her hands had curled into fists of their own compulsion. But the knowledge of what an angered god was capable of stayed her hand and truth be told she wasn't sure she could beat him under her full power so she was certainly no match for him in her current condition.

Deimos saw the frustration on her face and arranged his features in a terrible smile. "Champion of Olympus, Lord Ares respects your bravery and prowess and wishes to relay a message to you. My lord fears your talents are being wasted fighting Olympus' fruitless mission. He has much more to offer you, beginning with what you most want; in exchange for your allegiance as his personal champion, Lord Ares will return your friend to Themyscira unharmed."

Anger unlike any Diana had felt before took root in her. "Tell Ares I would never betray my mission. Tell him that I'll find a way to free Mercy from him and tell him that after I do, I'm coming for his head!"

Deimos shrugged seemingly unimpressed. "A pity if not expected, until next time Princess." He disappeared in another torrent of flames taking Mercy with him.

Diana had a thousand questions racing in her head about Ares and Strife's roles in everything that had transpired with Mercy since she had left Themyscira, but they all vanished when she saw Superman's still form lying on the ground. She rushed over and knelt down beside him unsure what to do, she knew the wound on his chest was serious, possibly fatal. She quickly racked her brain; her knowledge of botany was almost useless here. First off she didn't know if the particular combination of plants she required to staunch the bleeding were even readily available in London and second even if they had been she wasn't sure she had enough time to gather them. Hearing a noise behind her she turned to see Artemis extracting herself from Batman's grip as he slipped something into his belt.

"Diana are you-

Diana cut across her. "I'm fine. I require you're help, Superman is grievously injured."

Artemis hesitated briefly before joining Diana. She looked the wound over with an eye that had seen similar injuries too many times over her long life and shook her head. "There is nothing we can do but make him comfortable."

Seemingly not willing to take Artemis at her word Batman swept past her and knelt down as well, he placed his gloved hands against Superman's throat. "He has a pulse; it may not be too late to help."

Wonder Woman looked at him. "What do you suggest?"

He paused for a moment. "I don't know, I have contacts in the medical field, but none of them are equipped to deal with a nigh-invulnerable extraterrestrial."

A groan silenced all further conversation as to the amazement of all three present The Man of Steel's eyes opened.

Wonder Woman peered down at him. "Superman, can you hear me?"

He groaned again.

"How are you feeling?" Batman asked.

Automatically his hand went to the wound, it was mostly closed and had stopped bleeding it was smarting like crazy but that would fade in a little while. He grimaced, but nodded. "A little light headed, but I should be fine."

Behind his cowl Batman eyes narrowed. _Interesting, he must have an accelerated healing factor in addition to high durability. _The scientist in him was fascinated at the possible biological mechanics that had made such a recovery possible but that fascination was tempered by the wariness that a being with as much power as Superman demonstrated was capable of such a miraculous feat, but before he could do more than begin to form a possible hypothesis Superman clambered to his feet

"I'd thought you were going to pass from this world," Turning to identify the unknown voice Superman saw the redheaded woman with the bow and arrow, she had been standing further back outside his field of vision when he first regained consciousness. "It would seem the fortunes smile favorably upon you Kal-El." She stated observing him warily.

He smiled weakly. "I suppose they do."

"Are you immortal?" Wonder Woman asked.

Batman tilted his head ever so slightly in Superman's direction.

Superman shook his head. "No, I don't think so."

"But to recover from such a wound…" She left the sentence hanging before realizing that she was staring. Her royal training kicked in. "Well met Superman. Thank you for your assistance, you fought admirably." She stepped forward and offered her arm out in a traditional warrior's clasp.

Unsure what to do, he mirrored her and they grasped forearms, each taking measure of the other for several seconds.

Seeing him up close Diana had to admit he was very striking, his features were striking and he had a commanding presence. She couldn't help but notice that his eyes were the same color as the skies over Themyscira on a bright day…she discarded the thought and re-focused.

"I don't know how admirable getting stuck with a spear is but thank you for the compliment. I was happy to provide any assistance I could. From what I saw you were doing just fine before she threw that knee." He didn't know how it was possible but she looked even better up close, it was hard not to stare.

"A foolish mistake on my part," Wonder Woman replied gravely. "I am fortunate it didn't cost me my life."

Artemis cleared her throat and both Superman and Wonder Woman looked surprised, having forgotten that she and Batman were present as well.

"Forgive my rudeness, this is my companion Artemis."

Artemis scrutinized him for a moment before offering her hand out. "Well met Superman, or do you prefer Kal-El?"

"Either is fine." He replied taking her forearm in a similar grip.

"You and your ally both fought bravely."

It took him a second to work out what she was talking about. "Batman's not my ally, I've never met him before tonight." He turned to the Dark Knight who had been observing them all keenly. "All of I've heard about the Batman has been hearsay, I wasn't even sure you existed."

The Dark Knight looked over at Superman. "I prefer to operate in the shadows. I can't say the same about you though. You appeared on the scene approximately six months ago. Although it seems you operated under the alias 'the red-blue blur' for almost a year before that. You've exhibited flight in speeds exceeding Mach 20, You've been observed lifiting weight well over one hundred tons. You're apparently invulnerable to most forms of physical harm; you can generate radiant heat from your eyes. There are unconfirmed rumors of you being able to see through substances. He looked at the angry red welt on Superman's chest. "Apparently I can add spontaneous healing to that list…"

"You've been monitoring me." A statement not a question.

"No, just observing. Everything I just told you is on public record…not that you've made it exactly hard if I wanted to monitor you."

The fact that he had just been stabbed by a magic spear not fifteen minutes ago, only for Batman to talk down to him wasn't doing anything for Superman's geniality. "It'd be best for you if you didn't." he said with a hint of steel behind his words.

Batman's eyes narrowed behind his cowl at Superman's words but didn't respond.

They stood there; sizing each other up in an unspoken battle of wills, neither giving an inch.

Diana cleared her throat. Superman and Batman both looked at her and Clark heard Artemis mutter. "Typical."

Batman clicked his tongue and turned away.

Artemis looked conflicted for a moment before she called out to the retreating vigilante's back. "Batman wait," She stared at him for several seconds before taking a breath. "Thank you."

Batman inclined his head and reached into his belt. He walked to the lip of the roof extended his arm and fired off a grapnel line.

Without as much as a backwards glance he leapt from the building and swung away.

There was a moment of silence before Superman turned back towards Diana and Artemis, "I've heard a lot about you, both of you."

"Likewise, your reputation precedes you Kal-El."

"I have an offer for both of you. I work with an organization called the Justice League, we're a group of individuals who-"

"We know what the Justice League is." Artemis interrupted waspishly.

He had the grace to smile sheepishly, Diana thought it was cute.

"Well yes- anyway I've been impressed with your work and after tonight I'm more convinced than ever that you would make an excellent addition to the Justice League. Is that something that would interest either of you?"

Artemis seemed ready to say something as well but with what looked like considerable effort on her part she remained silent instead differing to Diana.

"Working with the Justice League is a large decision and we," she indicated Artemis and herself. "Need to discuss it before we come to a conclusion one way or another."

He nodded. "I understand; it's a big commitment. Well if you do decide to accept," he reached down to his belt and opened the center, removed a small device and handed it to Diana. "All you need to do is place that in your ear and press it once to open up a channel to our base and we can arrange a meeting between you two and the rest of the League."

Diana accepted the device and inclined her head. "Thank you Superman and thank you again for your assistance."

He smiled briefly lifted off and with a wave soared off into the clouds.

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><p>It was later in the night Diana and Artemis were back in their suite, after consulting with Etta Diana had decided to reschedule the two reporters from the Daily Planet for an interview later in the week, she'd also arranged for a press conference to finish delivering her speech. All of that was in the back of her mind though, two things weighed heavily on her; one the revelation that one of her closest friends was working for Ares, apparently of her own free will and two she and Artemis had been offered positions on the Justice League.<p>

"Did you actually tell Deimos that you would come for Ares' head?"

Diana hung here head. "It was foolish I know… I lost control and-

"No, you did well. We have known that Ares is our enemy and now he knows that we are not a triviality to be dismissed."

"That is a good thing?" Diana asked looking unsure. "Now, he will likely escalate his efforts the next time we meet."

"You bested his champion; he would have renewed his efforts regardless. As I said earlier he now knows that we will respond in kind, that course was set when he took Mercy." Artemis replied flatly.

Diana conceded the point.

"I hated doing battle with her."

"Which is why Ares picked her, he is a master strategist and knows how to hone in on his opponents weaknesses. He thought that your friendship with Mercy would cloud your judgment, sap your will and perhaps temper your blows. What he didn't realize is that his opponent was stubborn Diana!"

Diana tried to muster a smile at Artemis' attempt at levity but it fell flat, they had another matter to deal with and the sooner they dealt with it the better. "We have to discuss Superman's offer."

"You wish to accept it." Artemis stated more than asked.

"I do, we are to combat the living embodiment of war. We'll need strong allies and the Justice League are without a doubt Gaea's greatest defenders. I believe we would be stronger together, fighting for the same cause than we would be apart."

Artemis nodded. "You are correct."

"Yet you still have doubts."

Artemis nodded. "I do and they mainly have to do with who we met tonight. Do you remember a number of months ago when you expressed an interest in working with Superman?"

The tiniest of blushes stained Diana's features. That had been a different time; she had been much more star-eyed and enchanted with the wider world and its many differences from Themyscira. Superman had been one of those things that had caught her attention; the similarities in their abilities, how his mission seemed to parallel her own and her desire to help better the world in a more active manner. "I do, but this is different."

Artemis wasn't convinced. "I do not trust him. The level of power he possess… He claims not to be immortal and yet he spontaneously healed from what should have been a fatal wound. From what I observed his strength and speed are nearly equal to your own. He is charismatic, what happens if we fall out of favor, will he march the Justice League to Themyscira?"

"There are women on the Justice League as well, I do not-"

"Would they be able to stop Superman, would you? You know the tale Diana. Hercules did not wear the banner of conquest at first, he named himself Amazon friend and yet he ended up betraying that trust in the worst way possible… we are strangers in a strange world, you know that my course of action would be different from yours. But you're are the champion, my sovereign and one of my dearest friends, I will follow your word." At the end of the day she knew she had Artemis' loyalty, she may grumble on occasion but she would follow Diana's course.

"I think we can trust Superman's intentions."

"Fateful words sister," she sighed lightly. "It seems when we arrive in America we will be paying The Justice League a visit." She turned away and headed to the minibar, as she did Diana's keen ears caught sound of Artemis' whispered words. "I just hope you know what you are doing Diana."

Diana turned as well and looked out at the beautiful London skyline. "I do too." She replied softly

The truth was she did believe what she said however she wasn't a seer though and she didn't know what ramifications this decision would have. She relied on her gods given empathy, wisdom and her own instincts to guide her but she wasn't infallible. On one level Artemis' words disturbed her, she knew that at the time her mother had truly believed Hercules would be an ally to the Amazon's when she had permitted him on Themyscira but that had proven a costly mistake, was she making a similar mistake? Thoughts of her mother brought up a conversation they had had long ago about the duties of a leader to her people. Hippolyta had said that she didn't always have the right answer the truth was she just did the very best she could with the information available to her, sometimes her decisions worked and other times they did not, the trick was as Queen she had to make others believe that _she_ believed all of her decisions were right one hundred percent of the time even if she wasn't sure of her choices.

It had been an enlightening conversation that had shown Diana that her mother wasn't an omniscient being, but a person who made mistakes as well…and now she was in a similar position and the irony in the similarity and potential consequences of her decision and her mother's didn't escape her.

_How right you were mother._ She thought ruefully.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: *Whew,* this chapter covered a lot of ground; Superman and Wonder Woman's first meeting, the trinity's unofficial first encounter, Batman's first appearance and Diana's decision to join the Justice League, all of which are going to have ramifications down the road. **

**Okay a couple of quick things:**

**There was a lot of action happening at one point in the chapter including another simultaneous fight scene, I'm pretty pleased the way it turned out but let me know if it was hard to follow.**

**Batman and Superman by their natures and different **_**Modus Operandi **_**are going to have some tension when they first meet, that dynamic will not last in this story, so if you're expecting them to be snippy and despairing to each other sorry to disappoint. That little exchange earlier was more of two alpha's feeling each other out rather than any real threat on either's part. **

**Old hats will no doubt notice that I decided to include Ted Kord **_**aka**_** the second Blue Beetle and Etta Candy in brief cameos. If we'll see Kord again and if he'll pick up the mantle of the Blue Beetle remains to be seen. As for Ms. Candy she is a character that I came to like especially in her later depictions in the Wonder Woman comics so you can expect her to show up from time to time.**

**Next chapter will be up A.S.A.P. I can guarantee it won't take a year this time and it'll feature Superman and Wonder Woman's first official Justice League mission together, now that they've met we'll get to see them share some page time together. So I'll see you all soon and as always thanks for reading.**


	14. A Different Journey, A New Destination

**After a year away I wasn't sure if anyone would even be interested in reading this story anymore, so thank you for all the hits, follows, favorites and an extra special thank you to: C.A.M.S 22, Spoons There Are, ben10987654321, shugokage, Mythos Thespian and Number1don for taking the time out to leave me a review, you guys are awesome.**

**After reading what I wrote last week it came to my attention that the formatting on FF cut out a paragraph of text at the ending of the last chapter so I went back and added it in, if you read chapter 13 on the first day I posted it you can go back and see what was added if you want. It doesn't change the ending or anything, if you read it after the first day I posted it just ignore this whole thing.**

**A/N: This chapter contains references to the following Smallville episodes: **_**Duplicity, Asylum **_**and **_**Reckoning. **_**Pankreation is one of the earliest fighting system in recorded history, it was used primarily by the Ancient Greeks and is considered by some as the precursor to modern MMA.**

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><p><em><strong>Two weeks later<strong>_

Cat and Clark were standing outside her apartment exchanging a goodnight kiss that was beginning to turn into something much more heated; they'd just come from a movie that had involved much more kissing than movie watching.

Cat broke the kiss and leaned in, her hot breath playing along his ear in a husky trill. "So, Clark would you like to come in?"

Clark hesitated, being gifted with his senses granted him a rather unique viewpoint of his date. He could smell the pheromones wafting off of Cat, could see the way her pupils were contracted, could hear the pounding of her heart and the rush of blood to…certain locations on her body, all clear signs of arousal.

His higher brain was telling him now wasn't the time to cross this milestone with Cat, she deserved to know what she was getting into before she decided to sleep with him, but that logic was being drowned out by hormones that were screaming that it'd been _years_ since he'd been with Lana and he was man with healthy man desires that needed to be sated.

Then his Justice League earwig buzzed making any further thoughts on the subject moot for the time being.

In a supreme act of will he shook his head and stepped back. "Maybe another time, I've really got to get going."

Her eyes clouded over in disappointment. "Oh, okay… I guess I'll see you later."

She closed the door and he ran his hand across his face a couple of times in frustration but he didn't have time to assuage Cat's feelings or dwell on what could've been; duty called. He jogged over to the elevator, a quick glance around revealed that there were no cameras or peeping eyes present, he reached into his pocket, pulled out the earwig, placed the device in his ear and tapped it once.

"I read you Watchtower."

Chloe's voice came in loud and clear. "Clark, sorry to interrupt your date but we've got a disaster and it's all hands on deck."

"What's going on?"

"Earthquake, early reports show that the epicenter was about a hundred miles outside of Vancouver, the quake itself was around a magnitude eight. Data is still coming in but aftershocks have been reported as far south as Sacramento."

He pulled the elevator doors open, stepped into the shaft and lifted off. "Casualties?"

"Reports are still sketchy but Vancouver was hit pretty hard, a dozen have been confirmed dead already, the city is a mess Clark. I've already got everyone dispatched but we're spread pretty thin, I need you to rendezvous with Wonder Woman and head over to Vancouver and help out where you can. Your liaison is going to be a member of the VPD's metahumans department; Inspector James Turner."

Superman emerged from Cat's apartment building and rocketed off over the Metropolis skyline. "Alright, do you have a position on Wonder Woman?"

"She's on the city limits, about five miles ahead of you. Don't worry she's been briefed as well."

Superman scanned the skies momentarily. "I see her, thanks Chloe."

"No problem and good luck. Watchtower out," The line went silent and Superman picked up the pace, a few minutes later he had come to a stop in front of Diana. This was the first time he'd seen her since she joined the League. He was aware that she'd been on a few missions and patrols with other League members and he'd heard mostly positive things; she was a bit green and although she tended to take the lead without asking she more than made up for it with sheer determination and natural talent.

"Good evening Superman, I assume you were briefed by Watchtower."

"I was. How are you doing?"

"I am adjusting well." She replied. "Shall we proceed?"

"Yes, quick question; how fast can you fly?"

She raised an eyebrow at his question. "I do not know, why?"

"Vancouver's is about twenty-seven hundred miles from our present location, instead of flying straight there at around sonic speed it'd be quicker if we travelled a parabolic trajectory. We could travel at speed without having to worry about affecting local climate and-

She held up a hand, indicating she understood. "I'm confident I can keep pace, I was blessed with the speed of Mercury."

He didn't know what to say to that so he nodded and shot straight up accelerating; he looked behind him and saw she was keeping pace. He pushed further and crossed the sound barrier and a few seconds later the hyper sonic barrier. He looked back and she waved at him, showing no visible strain. He sped up further and a minute later they crossed into escape velocities, he was about to check on her again when she surprised him by pushing even faster and rocketing past him.

He nodded to himself understanding the message loud and clear.

By the time he re-assumed the lead, they were sub orbital. They weren't up high enough to see Earth in its entirety but they could definitely see the curvature of the planet laid out beneath them.

For Diana it was her first view of the planet as and the beauty laid before her took her breath away.

Although Clark had seen this sight before, no less than a few weeks ago he was no less affected. It was good to see something so much greater than all of them; this is why they did what they did, to protect this precious blue marble.

They lingered only for a moment before Superman touched Diana's shoulder to get her attention and then set off in a magnificent dive, she followed gamely and in short order they crossed over the western coast of the United States before turning their heading north, rapidly bleeding off speed as they went.

"That was amazing!"

"The view or the trip?" he queried

"Both, I've never done anything like that before!"

He smiled, her excitement was contagious, reminding him of the first time he'd been to the edge of space, it was one of the most memorable things he'd ever experienced. Any enjoyment they had experienced on the flight over was quickly evaporated as they crested Vancouver and saw what the effects of what had transpired.

Diana knew what earthquakes were of course, she had never seen the aftermath of one though, Gaia the goddess of the Earth protected Themyscira from such calamities and as such she wasn't quite prepared for what was in front of her. "Hera, look at this devastation." She whispered.

From their vantage point floating over the metropolitan area they could see a city wrecked by havoc and chaos. Parts of the city had suffered extensive damage; streets were torn and cracked, Fires were raging unchecked on the east side of the city, broken glass littered the street, some as a result of the earthquake, some no doubt from looters who had seized the opportunity to line their pockets. Sirens; EMS and police, echoed through the air. The Lions Gate Bridge had suffered extensive damage as well; a fifty foot section of the span was gone, all that remained were hanging wires and bent steel.

Dreading what he'd see Superman trained his eyes down into the cold waters underneath the broken structure and closed them a few moments later. Diana saw the haunted look in his eyes and didn't have to ask what he'd seen…or hadn't seen.

Wordlessly he took off heading into the city proper with Diana hot on his tail. As she flew she offered a silent prayer that these people hadn't suffered too much in their final moments. But as much as the loss of life assaulted her sensibilities there would be time to mourn the dead later, in the here and now there were still a job to complete, lives to be saved.

Soon thereafter they spotted a man in a V.P.D uniform flagging them down. He appeared to be in his late thirties and had straight brown hair with a scruffy beard. "Superman, Wonder Woman, it's good to see you both, I just wish we were meeting under better circumstances. I'm James Turner; I'm to be your liaison for the duration of your stay in Vancouver."

Superman nodded vaguely but didn't speak; it looked like he was only barely paying attention. Diana waited a moment but with nothing forthcoming from the Man of Steel she smoothly took over. "We are happy to offer aid wherever we can Inspector, just tell us where you need us."

Turner went to go coordinate with the others in charge of rescue operations. Seeing him step away Wonder Woman turned to Superman and touched him on the shoulder. "Are you okay?"

He nodded grimly. "Yeah, sorry about that, I was scanning the city. We've got our work cut out for us."

In the coming hours Superman's words proved very true, they worked tirelessly for hours at a time, putting out fires, clearing rubble, bracing sagging structures and most importantly saving innocents who'd been caught unprepared by the earthquake. They rescued people by the score but still there were those who were beyond their help, each of the deaths hit Superman and Wonder Woman encouraging them to work harder, move faster, do more.

* * *

><p>Diana was clearing away rubble from a collapsed storefront when she heard a shout from one of the rescue workers behind her. A large piece of masonry shifted and out from underneath the ruined remains of an apartment complex Superman emerged. An odd sensation washed over Diana and for a moment it was like the rest of the world was moving in slow motion. White dust caked Superman's uniform but he had a gentle smile on his face, she saw he was looking down and she saw that in one of his arms was a young girl, she couldn't be more than four and she was clinging to Superman as if he was the only real thing in the world.<p>

He tried to hand the girl to a paramedic but she was putting up a fight. "It's okay. I need to go but I promise I'll be back to check on you okay?"

She looked up at him with large innocent eyes . "Pinky swear?"

He smiled and crossed his larger digit with her much smaller one. "Pinky swear." The paramedic took the young girl without any further complaint.

Diana blinked, the world returned to normal speed and she had a feeling that she would remember that moment for a long time to come.

The sun rose and still they worked, between them they had cleared and moved several thousand tons of debris and they both continued, sometimes together, other times separate. According to Chloe it was more or less the same for the other teams. Around mid afternoon the rescue workers had taken a break, the crews couldn't keep up with either Superman or Wonder Woman and Chloe reported that Black Canary, Zatanna and Impulse had all gone to ground to catch some much needed rest; they'd be back just as soon as they were able.

"How are you holding up?" Superman asked.

"I'm still able to work. How are you?" She replied stretching her neck muscles.

He looked to his right, an anarchy symbol had been spray painted across a store front. "I'm alright but it's a shame that these tragedies bring out the worst in some people."

Diana thought back to the image of Superpman cradling that scared child in his arms. "They can also bring out the best in people Kal."

His eyebrows raised at the unexpected use of his first name and her eyes widened at the _faux pas,_ truthfully it had just slipped out. "I'm sorry-

He shook his head with a smile. "It's fine I don't mind…Diana."

They smiled at each other for a moment before Superman jerked his head back at the work pit. "What do you say we get back to it?"

She inclined her head. "After you,"

* * *

><p>The next day found Clark at the Daily Planet; he didn't have any more sick days and needed to make an appearance. Rescue operations in Vancouver had ceased and cleanup had begun. Turner had thanked the Justice League for their assistance and had sent them on their way but not before Clark had paid a visit to the local children's hospital to check up on the young girl he'd saved earlier. She'd been reunited with an aunt, unfortunately her parents hadn't made it out of the quake but she still had someone who cared about and that was what was important. With Vancouver off the table he had a couple other problems to deal with; one as Clark Kent and one as Superman.<p>

His problem as Clark Kent walked by on three inch heels and wearing a pink miniskirt without sparring him a passing glance. He knew Car was upset about what had happened the other night and his lack of communication the following day but what could he tell her, more lies that would ultimately come back to bite him in the ass like they had so many times before?

Their relationship had come to an impasse and truthfully he hadn't expected them to reach this point so soon. It came down to three options; tell Cat his secret and lay all his cards on the table, lie to her or break it off. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration; he was sick of the lies and he wouldn't traverse down that path again so that was out, so that left only two real options. Tell her or not?

He didn't want to break off the relationship with her however he was cognizant of what keeping his secret entailed, that point had been driven home long ago by Pete and then again with Lana.

In their sophomore year at Smallville High Pete had discovered Clark's spaceship and in order to protect his secret from going public Clark had revealed his abilities to Pete. Learning his secret had changed Pete, in the beginning Pete had thought it was cool, but as time wore on it had caused him to grow at times resentful, depressed and doubtful about his ability to keep the secret. It had altered their friendship, driven a wedge between and ultimately drove Pete out of Smallville.

He remembered one of the last things Pete had said to him, a memory that in hindsight had affected his life more than he realized.

"You think it's easy keeping a lid on your secret? I've got to think about it every time we're around other people to make sure I don't slip. I've got to remember to say 'meteor rock' instead of 'Kryptonite'. I walk around every day afraid that I'm gonna slip up."

Granted Pete had a lot going on in his life at the time, his parents were splitting up, the family farm had been foreclosed on and he couldn't seem to get any traction in his romantic pursuit of Chloe. But the knowledge of his secret had irreversibly changed his friendship with Pete. The result; he and Pete hardly ever talked anymore, they had the occasional phone call and made plans (that inevitably fell through) to get together.

Then there was Lana… He was man enough to admit a lot of the problems Lana and he had suffered from had stemmed from the fact that he had never trusted her enough to reveal his nature to her and the one time he did, it had disastrous consequences for both of them, so much so that he had to venture back in time in order to undo telling her in the first place. That had stuck in his mind and the push and pull of not letting her in had ultimately driven her out of his life and into Lex's arms.

On the other hand Chloe, Lois and Oliver had all managed to keep his secret while maintaining relationships with him. The question was which way would Cat fall, and the answer was…he didn't know.

The truth of the matter was in the two months they'd been dating he didn't know enough about her to tell which camp she'd fall into. Sure he knew all the superficial stuff about her but their relationship wasn't exactly one based on a deep emotional connection, it was much more physical.

_Which is part of the problem I guess. _He mused.

Well there was nothing to it, he needed to get this over with, with a sigh he rose and headed off to the executive floor. He knocked on the door of Cat's office, she looked up and he noted a look of surprise cross her features before she schooled her expression.

"Can I come in?"

She sized him up for a minute before nodding, he crossed the threshold and shut the door gently behind him. "We need to talk about the other night Cat."

"Okay talk."

He had a seat."You don't know this but before we started dating I was in a relationship, it was serious and…she left me for someone I thought was a friend. It hurt me badly and because of that I have I guess what you could call trust issues. I want you to know that it's not that I'm not interested in sleeping with you but I need more time before I'm ready to commit to that. Before we take the next step I think we need to get to know each other better."

Cat's expression softened. "I understand Clark; my relationship history isn't exactly…sterling either. I always jump into the sex and it usually messes things up." She swallowed and looked down at her table her face redding. " And I don't want to mess this up, I mean you're not like any other guy I've dated before and it's nice and- What I'm trying to say is if you want to wait, that's okay with me."

"Thank you." He said feeling a pang of guilt at Cat's full disclosure.

She smiled shyly. "You wanna have lunch and maybe we could talk this over some more?"

"Yeah." He said forcing a smile.

"I guess I'll see you later, handsome."

With a kiss Clark headed back to his desk. It might not have been the complete truth but it was as close as he could give her at the moment, he hated lying but this was the best solution he could come up with, he hoped he had made the right decision.

* * *

><p>The other problem was one that had been weighing on him since the night he'd returned to Metropolis from London and that problem was Mercy. There were a few components that made Mercy so dangerous; she was his near equal in strength, and raw speed. Her reflexes were faster, her fighting skill was much greater and she had that spear.<p>

There was little he could do about Mercy's strength, speed or spear, but he could even the odds in terms of reflex speed and fighting skill should their paths cross again. Truthfully he had never really considered the need for formalized training. His powers (particularly his invulnerability) had always given him the advantage but the ease with which he had been dispatched and how close a call he'd had…well he was definitely reconsidering his previous views; which is why after work that day he headed over to Watchtower.

He'd decided to ask Diana to give him some pointers; she was the most logical choice. She had bested Mercy twice, was familiar with the style of combat he'd need to combat and he was on much friendlier terms with her than Artemis who for some reason was just as cold and prickly with him as the day they'd met and he honestly didn't see her agreeing to anything that would force them to spend any more than the bare minimum of time together.

He found her in the lounge chatting easily with Arthur and Courtney.

"Superman, how are you doing?" she greeted with a smile.

"I'm alright, I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment?"

She looked at him curiously for a moment and nodded. He led her out of the lounge and into the currently vacant conference room, he sat down and she took the seat across the table from him.

He decided that the best way was to get down to it. "I need your help Diana, I'm sure you remember what happened when I fought Mercy in London."

She nodded.

"I- I've been defeated before but never like that, never so easily. It opened my eyes, I need to be ready in case I face her or opponents like her. I need to know how to fight and I was hoping that you could show me."

"How to fight?"

He nodded "You have the most insight into with the way Mercy fights, not to mention I've seen you fight and your skills are formidable."

"You've seen me fight?" she asked in surprise.

"The Tower of London, it was on the news." He elaborated.

"Yes, of course." She replied distractedly.

Diana wasn't sure he truly appreciated the magnitude of what he was asking from her. On one hand her mission was to be an envoy to the outside world and educate it about the ways of the Amazons, teach them the ways of peace. On the other hand the Amazon fighting technique was one of the greatest secrets of her people, a skill that would prove decidedly useful if her mission to this world proved unsuccessful and an army was ever mobilized against Themyscira.

The idealist and pragmatist in her warred; on one hand they were allies and any lessons learned from her would benefit the League as a whole making it a stronger more cohesive unit, on the other hand knowledge once given couldn't be taken away. While she was inclined to believe that there was no way Superman would betray the trust that had been placed in him and the league she could hear every one of Artemis' protest as surely as if she had been present and that made her hesitate.

"I'm sorry Kal but I cannot."

She saw his eyes briefly cloud over in disappointment but he endeavored not to show it. "I understand."

He didn't and any explanation she might offer would only cloud the issue further, she watched him stand and as she did she couldn't shake the feeling that this situation didn't feel right to her, Diana preferred to deal in honesty especially with those on her side and how well could an alliance function if it was based off of half-truths and deceit? It was destined to fail, she was in with the Justice League, so she was in all the way. At the same time her inclinations were not enough, she needed to know for sure and there was only one way to do that.

"Kal, wait."

He stopped and turned to face her.

She stood, reached to her hip, removed the glowing golden rope and held it in her fist. "This lasso is enchanted among other things to compel anyone who touches it to tell the truth, myself included. So know every word I tell you is the truth. You ask for my tutelage in martial training and I wish to teach you. I trust your intentions; however there are many potential ramifications to this decision that go beyond my own personal beliefs, including the future and safety of my people. In order to ensure that the knowledge I offer you will not be abused I wish to ask you three questions while you grasp this lasso; that is the price for my guidance."

She could see the hesitation in his eyes and she wondered if he would refuse but in the next second he stepped forward and grasped the lasso. He shivered like a current had passed through him. "Ask me anything you want."

"Do you have any ulterior motives in asking me to teach you combat training?"

He looked her in the eye. "No, I want to learn how to fight and you seem like the most proficient person to teach me. I figured Black Canary has enough to deal with at the moment and I doubt Artemis would agree, I have the feeling that she doesn't care for me."

So he was at least somewhat aware of Artemis' hesitancy in dealing with him.

She continued on. "If I ask you to not reveal where you learned your martial knowledge, would you honor that?"

"Yes to the absolute best of my ability."

He was doing well so far but the next question would determine her answer. "Do you consider Artemis and I true allies and members of the Justice League?"

"Yes, you two are some of the most competent people I've ever met as well as two of the best looking."

She was curious about his last answer but had promised that she would only ask a set number of questions and it would not bode well to renege on that promise. "You may release the lasso."

He complied and shook his head as if trying to clear it. "That thing is dangerous," He said eyeing the lasso warily

She nodded. "The truth can be a powerful weapon. I have the answers I require."

"And…"

She left him in suspense for a moment before nodding. "I will train you in the martial arts," She paused for a moment. "However it will not be easy, if you are looking for a quick solution I suggest you look elsewhere. I was trained by the finest warriors and they expected nothing short of perfection from me and as your teacher I'll expect nothing less than that from you."

"I'm ready."

She watched him for a moment, taking his measure before nodding. "Very well, we will begin."

He blinked. "What, now?"

She nodded her eyes twinkling in amusement. "Yes, you asked for my tutelage and I intended to give it to you."

He hadn't been prepared for this but he tried to follow gamely. "Okay I guess we should head to the training area."

She shook her head. "That won't be necessary."

He looked at her blankly. "You're not suggesting we start in here?"

"I am," She said fighting to keep a straight face. "We will begin with meditation."

His expression reminded her of a certain Amazon Princess when Philippus had begun her lessons.

"Meditation?" he replied dubiously.

"Yes, the most important weapon a warrior has is their mind, without a properly honed mind, you can not be an effective warrior." She replied echoing Philippus words from so long ago.

"But-"

"I believe the expression is learning to walk before you can run." She replied slyly.

"Okay what do I do?"

And so their first lesson began, after it had concluded it was agreed that they would meet every other day at five in the morning for a two hour training session; one hour for the physical and one hour for the mental.

Diana hadn't been kidding about taking her martial training seriously and the next session saw them jump right into the physical part of his training (in the training room).

They were both in uniform and Diana was pacing in front of him. "We will begin shoring up your stance, defense and strikes. Once we begin you will need to minimize your conflicts with others, your mind and body will be between two different fighting styles. In the heat of the moment your mind will tell you to do one thing, but the muscle memory you have will have you react differently, the hesitation could potentially cost innocents their lives." She came to a stop in front of him. "Now show me your fighting stance."

* * *

><p>He felt like a sponge absorbing the centuries of knowledge Diana had to offer. He learned that the Amazon fighting technique was a unique blend of armed and unarmed combat techniques, the closet thing it resembled was Pankreation and according to Diana the two arts shared a similar heritage. However while Pankreation had largely fallen out of use after the fall of the Greek Empire, the Amazon style had been refined and perfected over the millennia.<p>

His eidetic memory easily allowed him to effortlessly recall the techniques she taught him, however acquiring the muscle memory to perform said techniques at a satisfactory level still took time. Diana didn't take it easy on him; she was merciless with her drills and on the value of repetition and practice outside their lessons. For the first time that he could remember he was tired and his muscles actually ached after some of Diana's lessons, Clark was pretty sure this was the closest he'd ever get to experiencing boot camp

It would be years before he could fight with anything approaching the skill of Diana, longer still to match Artemis. Diana immediately discouraged this line of reasoning stating that a warrior developed at their own pace, it was not a competition and the journey was more important that the destination. He took that lesson to heart and adopted a similar mindset and her words became something of a personal mantra; _the journey was more important the destination. _

By the end of the eighth week he had made enough of an improvement and acclimated well enough to the adopting style that Diana had given her blessing for him to begin using his newly acquired skills outside of practice if he deemed necessary.

Week twelve saw him progress to nerve strikes and he learned _where_ to strike was just as important as how to strike.

He began to incorporate standing grapples into his repertoire during week seventeen.

By week twenty his fighting style was all but unrecognizable from when he started and Diana began to actually spar with him.

For her part Diana was downright impressed with his learning proficiency and dedication, he didn't complain, he showed up on time and he always gave his absolute best. She had been steadily increasing his work load but he rose to meet each challenge and by Diana's reckoning he'd had managed to cram the equivalent of three years of training into six months.

Initially Clark and Diana maintained a teacher-student dynamic; but when people spend so much time together, it's only natural that they begin to grow closer and slowly but surely that's what happened. Their relationship started to shift from teacher-student to one of friendship, the turning point happened twenty-six weeks after Clark had begun his tutelage under Diana. After a particularly tough session which saw Clark manage to slip Diana's guard for the first time. It was a proud moment for both of them; for Diana it was a testament to her skills as a teacher that her student had come so far in such a short time. For Clark it was a statement to his dedication to Diana's routine and his growing awareness as a student that he knew he still had a long way to go.

After conducting their cool down meditation they found themselves doing something they hadn't done too often…talking.

She tossed him a bottle of water. "Tell me about yourself Kal."

He caught the bottle and with a quick blast of freeze breath had the beverage chilly, they swapped and he repeated the process on the second bottle. "What would you like to know?"

"Do you remember anything about your home planet?"

"Nothing directly, I have memories of Krypton but they were placed in my subconscious by my birth father's A.I."

"A.I.?"

Artificial Intelligence; my father's created a copy of his memories and personality and transferred it into a computer program, it runs the Fortress." He went on to describe the fortress and how it had come into existence in such detail that by the time he was done Diana could see it clearly in her mind's eye; a towering palace of crystal, the last storehouse of the accumulated knowledge of an entire species.

"It sounds magnificent."

"It is. I'll have to show it to you one day."

She smiled. "I'd like that."

"Anyway I was sent to Earth in a rocket ship after that, and my ship landed in Smallville Kansas. A farmer and his wife happened to be nearby when my ship crash landed, they found me and raised me as their own. I was a normal kid for the first few years of my life but around when I turned ten my powers started to develop. That about covers my early life, so it's my turn to ask you a question."

She had a mouthful of water so she gestured for him to continue.

"Don't get offended or anything but I'm curious I know you've said Amazon's are ageless, but just how old are you exactly?"

She swallowed. "Why would I be offended, I am Seven hundred and eighty-two; although in this case that age is relative to my upbringing where my next closest peer is two hundred years older than me. How old are you?"

He hesitated for a moment struggling to comprehend being almost eight hundred years old but still being the youngest person in a community. "Twenty-three."

"It's interesting; despite the gap in our ages in your twenty-three years you've experienced so much more of the world than I have." She said thoughtfully.

"I don't know Diana, you may not be familiar with the wider world but from what you've told me you've hardly lived what anyone could call a routine existence. You have experienced things I can only imagine."

She chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

They fell into a companionable silence for a while until Clark saw what time it was. "I have to get going, I'll see you."

She stood as well. "Same time tomorrow," She affirmed. "Get your rest Kal; tomorrow we're going to start working on ground techniques."

"I can hardly wait." He replied wryly.

The next session ended with them discussing what life had been like in Smallville as well as him revealing his human name.

"Clark Kent, the reporter?"

He nodded unsure how she would react. To his relief she found it amusing.

"So that is why Superman happened to be in London the day we met. Tell me why did you decide to conduct your life with two identities?"

"Mainly as a way to protect my family and friends from my enemies, I'd also have to say as much as I enjoy my work as Superman there are times when I need to step away from it all. Separating Clark Kent's life and Superman's lets me do that."

"So which identity do you consider your true one; Clark Kent or Superman?"

He shrugged. "The short answer is both of them. They're both facets of my personality, I play certain elements up as Superman and others down as Clark Kent."

For some reason she wasn't satisfied with that answer. "So what is the long answer?"

He was silent for a moment. "People are multifaceted; we show different parts of ourselves to different people in our lives and I'm no different in that regard. Let's take you for example Diana; In the six months since you joined the League I've seen different sides of you; are you the courageous champion of your people, the fierce Amazonian warrior, the compassionate emissary, the regal princess, the rookie Justice League member and aspiring superhero or all those pieces of the mosaic that makes you, you Diana?"

"I see what you mean," She said with a pause "That was a long answer."

They shared a laugh before Diana sobered. "So of all those facets who gets to see the whole of you Kal?"

"It's a short list. I'd say my mom, Chloe, Lois, Oliver…you."

She stared at him a sensation like she missed a step going down a flight of stairs had taken up residence in her stomach at his words.

"What?" he asked with a bemused expression.

She shook her head. "Nothing, I was just lost in thought for a moment."

"It's nice to know I'm such a riveting speaker." He said with a chuckle. "Anyway it's about time I head out, I'll see you later Diana."

She waved and watched him leave, that odd sensation still present in her stomach.

* * *

><p>The weekend saw Clark playing fetch with Shelby and cleaning around the farm, it was unusual that he got much time off and he was enjoying every second of it.<p>

Shelby ran up to Clark; a tennis ball in his mouth. He dropped the ball in his master's hand, his tongue lolling out in anticipation of Clark tossing the ball again. Clark obliged and tossed the tennis ball out into the field; Shelby shot off barking in delight. Clark was watching with a smile when his cellphone rang, he lifted up and saw Dinah's number on his screen.

"Hello?"

"Clark, it's Oliver, he's woken up!"

He could hear the relief and elation in her voice. "That's great news Dinah."

"It is, he's asking to see you, are you busy?"

He bit his lip for a moment. "I can swing by, where are you guys?"

She gave him the address. "I'll see you in a few."

"Okay, thanks Clark."

Shelby had returned with the tennis ball and was trying to hand it off to Clark. "Sorry boy, looks like we'll have to put this game on hold."

Shelby dropped the ball and whined, his ears going flat.

"Come on, I'll give you a treat and we'll play later."

At the word 'treat' Shelby's ears pricked up and his tail started wagging.

Clark smiled and set off to the house with Shelby keeping pace. One Google Maps search, two doggie treats and a few pats on the head later he was off in a blur. A little under four minutes later he came to a stop outside the hospice and after replacing his glasses and straightening his shirt he walked into the reception area.

He signed in on the visitor sheet and was shown back to Oliver's room where he saw Dinah in jeans and a sweater having a spirited discussion with Oliver. He knocked on the door frame and Dinah beckoned him in.

"Wow, when you say a few minutes, you _mean_ a few minutes." Oliver said with a smile.

As he walked over he looked his friend over with his x-ray vision. Most of the broken bones had healed, although Oliver had quite a bit more scar tissue than Clark remembered and his muscles had atrophied a bit from inactivity. Given what he'd been through though it could've been much worse.

Oliver seemed to know what Clark was doing. "How does everything look?"

"Much better. It's great to see you're awake Oliver, how do you feel?"

Oliver shrugged. "All things considered I can't complain."

Dinah rolled her eyes. "Stop trying to be so macho Ollie, you were whining in pain just a few minutes ago."

Oliver grinned lecherously. "Nah, I was just hoping you'd agree to give me a sponge bath babe."

Dinah flushed a brilliant red. "Oliver!"

The young billionaire looked unabashed. "Oh come on Dinah, it's been like eight months… you can't blame a guy for trying."

If it was possible Dinah turned even redder.

It was at this point Clark coughed into his hand. "Um, maybe I should leave…"

Oliver instantly sobered up. "No, we," he indicated the three of them. "Need to talk."

Clark pulled a chair up to the bed and had a seat. "About what?"

"Before I was attacked my mole inside of Luthorcorp has been feeding me info about Lex's various holdings, projects, breakthroughs etc."

Dinah looked at Oliver. "This isn't the first time you've mentioned having a mole, I thought it was some low level technician or something but the kind of information you're talking about has to come from someone near the top."

"Not near the top, _the _top; it's Lionel. He's been doing some corporate espionage while he's been out of the country. Anyway Lionel came across some documents for a project Conduit and- what?" He stopped at Clark and Dinah's expression.

"Conduit is the name of Lex's little toy soldier."

Clark elaborated further. "I've seen him on the news a few times and I've been keeping an eye on him since Lex threw a gala for his public debut but I've never met him before."

"What does he do?" Oliver queried

"Mainly appears at high profile events as a bodyguard, helping the elderly, you know stuff Lex can have his P.R department drum up reports about. Honestly he kinda freaks me out, those cables of his remind me of snakes." Dinah said with a shudder.

Fragments of memory flash across Oliver's mind, a cable…his bow a… it was right there in his mind, just out of reach. He realized he had his head in his hands and slowly he lowered them to rest on the quilt.

Dinah leaned forward "What is it, are you okay?"

I don't know, it was-" he paused at the concerned looks on Clark and Dinah's faces and swallowed his answer. "Nothing, I'm fine. Back to Lionel's discovery; the documents talk about finding new ways to harness Kryptonite in the development of metahumans."

"Sounds like 33.1" Dinah noted.

Oliver shook his head. "No, that was about the abduction and control of metahumans, this is about the _creation _of metas… if it's a success Lex will have the ability to raise an army of metahumans anytime, anyplace, all completely loyal to him. This Conduit must be the first off the line, a test run."

"I'll get back to the Watchtower and fill everyone in, we need to move and move quickly to see what we can do about neutralizing this. Don't worry Oliver, we'll take it from here; Lex has an eight month head start on us, we won't give him anymore." Clark rose, shook Oliver's hand, patted Dinah on the shoulder and disappeared in a blur of speed.

Oliver blinked, in the eight months he'd been sidelined something in Clark had changed. This wasn't the same man, the reluctant hero he'd known, sure Clark had been showing progress but this was a bit surprising. "What's up with him, did he eat his Wheaties or something?"

"No he's been like that for a while now, he really stepped up while you were out of commission," Perhaps realizing how that sounded she quickly added. "But he's only keeping the seat warm until you get back."

Oliver frowned slightly. "Then you know he's going to be in that seat for a while longer. You saw my injuries; it'll be months before I'm back in fighting condition."

She kissed him on the head. "You just worry about getting well love; the League is in capable hands."

Oliver knew that and while it was a load off his mind, a part of him, a _very_ tiny part was concerned about just how much more capable those hands were compared to his.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** It looks like we've got a showdown coming up soon with Lex, Superman, the League and Conduit. Did you all catch the _Kingdom _Come reference, it was blink and you miss it. Pete's quote is actually an amalgamation of two quotes from the Smallville episodes _Duplicity_ and _Asylum. _Lastly Superman and Wonder Woman training together wasn't a one-off thing, we'll see Clark's training and his fighting style develop over the course of the story. As always thanks for reading and I'll see you all next time.


	15. Boiling Point

**Sorry for the delay, this chapter has been ready for almost a week but the holidays left me with next to zero time to post it so again my apologies. Before we begin I'd like to thank: ben10987654321, C.A.M.S 22, Helacre13, shugokage, chronos the cookie thief, Spoons There Are, rebfan90 and****pauldleast for taking the time to leave me a review. You guys all kick ass and your thoughts and critiques are all appreciated.**** Note for the Chapter: Hypertrophic ****Cardiomyopathy**** is a very real, very nasty disease that a dear friend of mine had. You can read about it online if you're curious but a basic rundown is the disease messes with the electrical signals in the heart and causes a thickening of the heart muscles, so the heart doesn't work properly.**

* * *

><p>Clark was on his way out the door, having stopped by the farm to pick up his uniform on the way to Watchtower when he phone vibrated, he looked down and saw that he had received a text message from Cat.<p>

He tapped his screen a few times and brought up the message: _Clark we need to talk. Can you swing by my apartment?_

Immediately he was put on guard, Cat's texts were always liberally punctuated with emoticons and she almost always ended her messages with three hearts. This message lacked any of those familiar hallmarks, it was brief (almost curt for her), she wanted to meet at her apartment, not a restaurant or theater or any location the normally gregarious woman favored and last but perhaps most telling of all she said they needed to talk. Add all that to the current strained state of their relationship and it didn't take a genius to figure out what Cat likely wanted to talk about.

His stomach felt heavy as he composed a reply: _Okay, but I'm sort of busy at the moment, is later tonight okay?_

Her response was quick and to the point: _Alright._

None of her usual nicknames or terms of endearment just the one word. While he would've liked to pretend otherwise the truth of the matter was his relationship with Cat would more than likely end in a matter of hours.

He held back a sigh, changed into his uniform and flew off to Watchtower.

* * *

><p>Diana was close to losing her patience; sitting in the study of the recently opened Themysciraian embassy she was (almost literally) buried under a mountain of paperwork. She had known that the ambassadorial position would require her to meet with diplomats and heads of state, negotiate deals and trade with other nations; she'd been prepared to deal with all of that.<p>

What she hadn't quite been ready for however were the trappings of modern society…specifically all the red tape of the patriarchs world, it all seemed so inefficient to her; sign this, initial that, date here, notarize there. If she had been dictating the terms of establishing these relationships Diana held no doubt she could have expedited the process greatly…unfortunately to play the game she had to follow the rules.

She'd lost all track of time cramped inside this room, she knew it had been Thursday evening when she'd entered and she was pretty certain it was Saturday or Sunday afternoon now.

To her credit she had an excellent staff headed up by Etta helping her everywhere they could but much of the heavy lifting (such as it were) required Diana's direct attention. Artemis as usual was her greatest ally; she was currently out of the country acting as Diana's proxy meeting with various diplomats.

A knock on the door cut into the sound of her pen scratching on paper. She paused and looked up at the closed portal warily; every time there'd been a knock it had been Etta with more paperwork to sign. "Enter."

Diana looked up to see Etta walk in with what looked like twice the amount of papers as her last visit.

That was the last straw.

Dian held up her hands and dropped her pen on the desk. "No more, I am taking the rest of the day off. If I didn't know better I'd say this paperwork has an enchantment on it; I could swear I have signed the same form a dozen times."

Etta blinked. "But the Premier of-

"Whatever nation they are the Premier of they can wait until tomorrow," Diana said firmly. "It has been to long since I have seen the sky or taken a walk around the garden. I'm inclined to believe everyone else is feeling overworked as well so tell the staff they have the rest of the day off."

She thought she saw a flash of respect in Etta's eyes before she stepped out of the room (but not before depositing her burden on the desk).

Diana stood, stretched for a moment and then headed up to her personal quarters. When she arrived she shut the door, striped down, proceeded to her washroom and drew a hot bath. The scented water was paradise and Diana felt the tension of the past few days leak away as she languished, after nearly an hour (and a light nap) she extracted herself from the tepid water, dried and changed into a light tunic and sandals; she was on her way out the room when she heard a faint buzzing noise coming from her nightstand.

Upon further investigation the culprit was revealed to be her Justice League communicator.

_So much for a trip to the garden._ She thought ruefully as she picked up the device. Five minutes later Wonder Woman was flying away from the embassy and headed south east.

Diana entered the situation room of Watchtower and took her seat on the right side of the table. Not counting herself seven other members of the league were present; Zatanna was next to her, across from the young magician was Impulse, sitting next to him was the Martian Manhunter. Aquaman was standing in the far corner of the room with his arms across his chest and his head down, directly across from him Cyborg and Chloe were conversing in hushed tones. Superman was seated at the head of the table and judging by his lack of reaction to everything going on around him he was in deep introspection.

Shortly after Diana had taken her seat _J'onn_ cleared his throat. "Superman, I believe this is everyone."

The Man of Steel blinked and looked around for a moment; Diana caught the quickest look of surprise cross his features before it settled into a mask of impassiveness. "If everyone could have a seat we can begin."

Everyone settled in their appropriate places but Diana kept an eye on Superman; something was off in him, she didn't know what but judging from his bearing it was something troubling.

"Okay, to start of I have good news; Oliver's come out of his coma."

There were various sounds of relief and excitement from around the table, Diana didn't join in having never having met Oliver although she was happy that a fellow comrade had recovered from his injuries.

Superman continued explaining Oliver's Intel from Lionel Luthor and what Lex's hand in attempting to create a metahuman army, that news quieted any of the earlier jubilation.

"As far as the law is concerned we don't have enough evidence to move against Lex and our latest Intel is about eight months out of date, so how do we play this?"

Impulse spoke up. "I say we handle this like we did back when we were hitting Lex's 33.1 facilities; we get in hit hard and fast then get out before anyone knows we were there."

Zatanna nodded. "We did manage to stay ahead of Lex for nearly a year; I don't see why that wouldn't work this time."

"You're getting ahead of yourselves." Chloe interjected. "We don't even know were _Project Conduit_ is being held or what's changed since Ollie got his information."

"Chloe is right, as much as I would like to move against this Lex Luthor it would be prudent to obtain more information before we determine a course of action. Acting rashly would compromise our chances of success. " Diana added.

"Okay, so we just have Chloe and Vic hack a few Luthorcorp computers, we update our Intel and then we make our move." Impulse replied easily.

"Hacking into Luthorcorp will probably be a bit more involved than that Bart," Clark said dryly "But that's probably our best place to start. We'll reassess our next step afterwards; we're only going to have one shot at this, so let's make it count. Are we agreed?"

There were nods and murmurs of assent from around the table and shortly afterward Chloe and Victor broke off and got to work.

And although they were both extremely skilled in the use and manipulation of computers it still took them a few hours to get through Luthorcorp's firewalls, the type of attack they used had only temporarily disabled the security so they didn't have time to search around the mainframe and instead dumped the entire contents of Luthorcorp's servers onto their own. Chloe explained the benefits and drawbacks of such a method. "Well, the good thing is if there was any indication of what Lex was up too on any computer in Luthorcorp we have it. The bad news is its raw data, and a lot of it, even with me and Victor working on this it's going to take a while to filter all of this down and extrapolate any useful information."

"Thanks guys I appreciate what you've done, but I'll take it from here."

Chloe raised in eyebrow. "Where are you going, the Fortress?"

"No. Somewhere a bit closer to home, it shouldn't take me more than a few hours." With that statement he copied the information onto a large solid state drive and headed over to S.T.A.R Labs.

* * *

><p>Fortune was with him, for just as he was passing over the building he saw who he was looking for; Dr. Karen Faulkner was leaving the facility and by the looks of it headed for home. He landed in front of her and she jumped back in surprise nearly upsetting her briefcase. "Superman! What are you doing here?"<p>

"I'm sorry to come calling so unexpectedly Kitty but I need a favor."

She adjusted her glasses and stood straighter. "Anything."

He opened his palm and handed her the solid state drive. "I need you to look this over as soon as possible, lives are at stake."

She took the device curiously. "What's on it?"

"I'm hoping you can tell me that."

She chewed her lip for a moment and nodded. "Come with me."

He fell in step behind her as they returned back to the building; she swiped her I.D badge and entered the main reception area. Clark noted the impressive size and the huge gleaming S.T.A.R Labs symbol set in the marble floor.

The security guard; a portly middle aged man posted at the front desk glanced up and did a double take. "Holey molely you're Superman!"

Faulkner coughed into her hand and the security guard reluctantly tore his gaze away from the Man of Steel. "Uh Ernie, as you can see I have a guest. I'll be up in my lab for a while… if anyone asks I'd appreciate your discretion about the uh…identity of my guest."

Ernie looked at Superman again. "Is Doc Faulkner helping you with a mission Superman?"

"Something like that." Superman replied solemnly.

Ernie nodded eagerly his eyes bulging. "You can count on me, my lips are sealed!"

Superman smiled at him. "Thank you sir, I appreciate it."

Ernie buzzed them in and Superman followed after Kitty. She opened the door to the lab and Clark saw a small mountain of take-out containers and empty soda bottles littering the counter and small well-worn couch in the corner.

"Sorry about the mess," she said with a flush. "I spend a lot of time up here and I wasn't expecting guests…"

He raised a hand. "It's fine Kitty."

She booted up her computer and he noted a picture from the web edition of the daily planet featuring Cyborg was prominently placed as the wallpaper on her desktop, she tried to casually scoot in front of the screen and obscure his view and despite his mood he had to bite back a small smile.

"So are you going to tell me where you got this from?"

"Green Arrow obtained information from a credible source that Lex Luthor is trying to create an army of metahumans. Unfortunately when the rest of the league received the Intel it was out of date, so we had to _update_ it. "

Kitty caught the slight stress on the word 'update' and nodded getting Superman's meaning. "I see."

After about an hour or so she turned away from the computer console, removed her glasses and rubbed her nose. "This isn't good."

Superman lifted his head at her voice and stepped closer to her console. "What did you find?"

"A lot, Green Arrow's Intel is correct insofar that Luthor is trying to create a metahuman army. What he is incorrect about is the scope of this operation; Project Conduit is frankly humongous, four facilities on three continents, no one facility seems to be the head one; all four facilities have multiple redundancies, if one facility goes down the others can pick up their slack but that's not all."

"It gets worse?"

"All of this is buried under so many shell companies and third party holdings that it'd be next to impossible to trace any of it back to Lex."

Clark's mind flashed back to the various illegal experimentations Lex had conducted back in Smallville. "Lex is excellent at covering his tracks. He's almost made it into an art." He replied dryly.

"Evidentially, I don't see one thing that points back to Lex directly, and I _know_ what I'm looking for." she replied while absently tapping a pen against the screen. "Anyway Project Conduit is being headed up by Dr. Sydney Harper."

"That name sounds familiar."

Faulkner nodded eagerly. "It should, he made headlines a few years ago for allegedly breaking the international ban on human cloning. He was acquitted because some of the evidence had been improperly gathered but his name and credibility were shot to hell in the science community, excuse my language. He kind of dropped off the radar after that, I guess we know where he's been."

Clark scanned the screen and pointed to the largest conglomerate. "This holding is in Harper's name, the way it's all laid out makes it look like-

"Harper is the one pulling the strings." Faulkner finished. "If I didn't know what I _do_ know about Lex I'd be inclined to believe this is all legit," She looked thoughtful for a moment, "What I'm curious about is why Lex would want Harper in the first place, he was…is brilliant, but I can think of three other scientists in genetics that are at least as smart as Harper but without the baggage." Faulkner said thoughtfully as she scrolled through pages.

Clark didn't answer but he knew the answer, Lex would want to work with someone he had leverage over, someone who would acquiesce to him because Lex held an axe (so to speak) over their head and who better than a disgraced world class geneticist? "Hold on a second, go back."

Faulkner scrolled back a few pages.

"Stop right there." He got a closer look at screen. "Those are research notes about Conduit."

Faulkner looked them over. "You're right although these aren't very thorough, think of this as the cliff notes version of Harpers research notes; no doubt he has more extensive notes on a computer somewhere."

Clark leaned in and read the screen:

**Subject Number: 0102304 **

**Name: Kenneth Braverman**

**Height: 5'10**

**Weight: 190 **

**Pretreatment notes: Shows stage one metagene, subject is diagnosed with ****hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and is in poor health****.**

**Post treatment notes: Subject was treated with purified meteor extract, metagene responded to treatment and now shows massive increases in strength, speed, durability and the ability to generate bio energy in a similar wavelength to meteor radiation. ****Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy seems to be in remission, further test are necessary to see if any damage to heart is still present****.**** Secondary mutation was growth and production of organic cables of an unknown substance over approximately seventy percent of subject's body. Subject is able to control cables through psionic means and is able to amplify abilities through energy absorption.**

It continued in that vein for a while but Clark was lost in his own thoughts. Kenny Braverman was a name he hadn't heard in years. Kenny and his family had arrived in Smallville when Clark had been in the fourth grade and he and Clark had become fast friends after discovering a mutual interest in baseball. Unfortunately the friendship wouldn't stand the test of time; by the time they had arrived at Smallville high for their freshmen year Clark and Kenny weren't on speaking terms anymore. The schism in their friendship had occurred mainly because Kenny had been ridiculously competitive with Clark and had grown increasingly jealous when he couldn't seem to outperform Clark at anything: from little league to the science fair to the spelling bee. Part of that had no doubt been nurtured by Kenny's father who was of belief that anything short of perfection was completely unacceptable, withholding any affection for his son unless he was the top performer at school.

In his junior year he remembered hearing through the grapevine that Kenny had been diagnosed with a rare genetic heart condition and forced to withdraw from school. Clark had tried to visit his former friend and clear the air between them but Kenny had refused to see him and he and his parents had left Smallville soon after to seek treatment, he hadn't heard of him since.

Now he had resurfaced as Lex's toy soldier; the hope of Doctor Harper's machinations and the man who had put Ollie on the shelf for the better part of a year. "What happened to you Kenny?" Clark muttered.

"What was that Superman?"

"Nothing," He said refocusing on the matter at hand. "Kitty, How long would it take Lex to produce…let's say one hundred Conduits?"

Faulkner bit her lip for a moment. "Well there a couple of things working against Lex'; one there is the fact that only a small percent of the total population possess the metagene. Two even given the level of talent Harper has cultivating metahumans would take time…conservatively … I'd estimate maybe eighteen months."

"Eighteen months?"

"Remember I'm being conservative Superman, as I said earlier the scope of this is mindboggling; four different facilities across the planet all staffed with the latest equipment and elite teams of scientists."

Clark took a step back and thought for a moment. One phrase in the research notes in particular had stuck out to him, Conduit was able to generate energy attacks that simulated the wavelength of Kryptonite or meteor rock as the report referred to it. Clark had no intention of potentially walking into a conflict with an enemy who could control a substance that could kill him and he had an idea on how to level the playing field.

"Thanks Kitty, you've been a great help and I'm sorry to ask but I need another favor."

She looked curiously at him for a moment but that look quickly changed to one of intrigue when he explained what he was thinking. "Yeah that could work, I have some connection at Metro General Hospital, I'm sure I can get what you need. I'll tell them to expect you in what a few minutes?"

"Better make it an hour, thanks again."

"Anytime Superman…uh could you tell Cyborg I said hi?" Clark saw the tiniest of flushes creep across her features.

"Sure Kitty no problem."

After arriving back at the Watchtower (and passing on Kitty's message to Victor) Clark gave a rundown about what he'd learned at S.T.A.R Labs. Impulse was particularly impressed.

"Great job Big Blue! So now that we know where we have to be, we have Zee teleport us all in and we can take these sites off one at a-

"That's not going to happen." Zatanna said firmly.

"Why not?"

"Because teleporting is one of the most technical magical arts to master and mass teleportation is even harder, I don't just snap my fingers and 'poof', there's a very delicate balance when you use magic and to teleport I have to open a hole into the astral-

"Okay Zee, could you sum this up, because you're putting me to sleep." Bart said leaning back in his chair.

Zatanna glowered at him. "If I don't do everything exactly right I could easily strand us in another dimension or on another planet, that simple enough for you?"

Bart guffawed seemingly unimpressed. "That wouldn't be so bad; I'd love to visit another planet… green babes to conquer and all that."

"Green babes?" _J'onn _asked raising an eyebrow at the young speedster.

Bart held up his hands. "No offense intended big guy. All I'm thinking is that it'd be like in all those classic Sci-Fi movies. Before the assault on the bad guy's stronghold or whatever the swashbuckling hero always lands a green alien babe, it's an unwritten rule."

Zatanna drummed her fingers on the table impatiently. "Okay, totally ignoring that you fancy yourself 'swashbuckling' and the next to zero chance that green alien women would want anything to do with you… what if we ended up on a planet that didn't have an atmosphere?"

He blinked as if he hadn't even considered that possibility. "That'd suck."

Zatanna held her fingers about an inch apart. "Just a little bit," she replied sardonically. "Another person isn't a problem, but five more?" She shook her head. "Not unless it's an emergency."

Diana couldn't help noticing that what was interesting about that whole exchange wasn't so much Zatanna and Bart sniping at each other (that was par for the course as far as they were concerned) but rather the lack of Superman saying anything. He usually kept them on track whenever they got off on a tangent, but at the moment he had that same faraway look on his face as earlier and if Diana had to guess she'd say he hadn't paid attention to a single word they'd uttered.

Looking across the table she saw she wasn't the only one who was aware of Superman's lapse in concentration; Chloe was observing Kal with an odd expression on her face.

Chloe's eyes darted from Superman to Diana and back again she inclined her head slightly. Catching on Diana cleared her throat. "Superman?"

At the mention of his name he blinked at looked over at her. "Yes?"

"How do you suggest we proceed?"

He didn't answer immediately and Diana saw his eyes unfocused and she had sneaking suspicion that he was replaying the recent conversation in his eidetic memory.

After a moment he answered the query. "Zatanna's right teleporting us in is too dangerous and besides this operation is on a global scale, we should break into teams and hit all the facilities at the same time. We also need to bring in Dr. Harper; he's the only person who can tie this all back to Lex."

"That would be tactically sound; we don't want to give Luthor a chance to regroup, once we take these facilities offline we need to ensure they remain that way." Aquaman said.

There were nods around the table. "Since Dinah's not present we'll need someone to coordinate our movements on the field, Victor I think your best for that. _J'onn_ I need you to break us into two man teams; you've been doing this longer than any of us, I'd appreciate your insight." He looked at each leaguer in the eyes and nodded. "Let's get to work."

_J'onn _had brought up the holographic map and marked off each of the targets. Empath and Zatanna will attack facility one. Impulse and Cyborg are in charge of facility two. Wonder Woman and Superman will handle facility three and lastly Aquaman and I will be responsible for facility four, are there any objections?" He waited for a moment and with none forthcoming he continued. "Before we adjourn there is one point I wish to bring up; there may only be a one in four chance but I am concerned about the possibility that Superman may encounter Conduit and given our newest information regarding his abilities…"

Clark nodded his head having anticipated this being brought up sooner or later. "Don't worry _J'onn_ I've seen what I could be up against and I'm working on something. I'll be good for tomorrow." There were curious looks thrown his way but he didn't elaborate. Catching sight of the clock he wrapped up the meeting and slipped away; managing to make it to the roof of Metro General just in time to see Kitty's contact hefting a large cardboard box.

"Ah Superman, kinda thought Kitty was pulling my leg when she said you'd show up. Anyway considering what it took for me to get these tell her that we're even." He left without a backwards glance.

Clark checked the box and saw the contents were all present; half a dozen lead lined aprons and a pair of lead lined gloves before heading off to the farm. Not wasting any time when he arrived he retrieved his spare costume, a handful of matching blue patches of cotton and a sewing needle before getting to work.

It hadn't been hard with his heat vision and strength to re work the lead blocks into the size and shapes he needed, from there he'd just sewn them into the inside of the suit. He held up the finished product lead insets now covered most of his vital organs and the vast majority of the suit, by necessity the joints had remained lead free. There were a couple of problems with the lead suit, it was fragile (relatively speaking), due to its bulkiness it wasn't protected by the bio electric 'invulnerability aura' his body generated, the fact that it was hastily built it didn't offer complete protection and finally the fact that it was lead prevented solar radiation from penetrating it so he couldn't recharge his abilities; what he went in with was all he had. If there was an encounter with Conduit it would do for him to end the fight as quickly as possible.

All those negatives were outweighed by the fact that the Kryptonite energy of Conduit had been largely negated…in theory, all that was left was the field test. He headed out to the barn, retrieving the lead box and the piece of Kryptonite t housed along the way. Once inside he stripped down and slipped into the lead suit, the gloves went on and after taking a deep breath he opened the box. Immediately he noticed that the usual burning and nausea were both still present but the effects had been drastically been reduced, enough so that he could function at close to a normal level, after about ten minutes his vision began to darken and he felt his limbs starting to get weak so he shut the box. So he had roughly ten minutes before the Kryptonite overwhelmed his lead suit.

After the Kryptonite exposure he wanted to take a rest and recharge, unfortunately he had one last errand to run and it had been the one he'd been putting off. With an air of resign he texted Cat that he was on his way and would arrive in a few minutes before his form blurred and he headed off to Metropolis. He came to a stop outside Cat's apartment a few minutes later. His stomach wouldn't settle which might have been the aftereffects of the Kryptonite exposure or nerves on what he was about to face.

Either way he raised his hand and knocked on the door.

* * *

><p>Walking away from Cat's apartment Clark felt…hollow. His instincts had proved correct, Cat was ending it with him and what had followed had been the longest hour of his life; Cat had really let him have it, the worst part was never once had she raised her voice, her tone had been dejected and sorrowful but never angry. He could still here echoes of her words:<p>

_Clark we need to talk...I've tried to be patient but we've been doing this dance for months…Been down this road enough times to know how it ends...Must have just been kidding myself to think we could work out, we're just too different…We gave it a good try…I'll see you around Clark._

Talking to her it was clear as day that Cat had fallen for him. He'd wanted to return her feelings but he couldn't. He'd experienced love, deep all-encompassing love but when he was with Cat… it just wasn't there, it hadn't been and while in the back of his mind he'd known that he hadn't wanted to acknowledge it. That wasn't to say he didn't care about her, he did but those feelings of love weren't present and if after six months he didn't feel that level of emotion, well there was nothing to indicate that he ever would. Part of the problem was that he wasn't convinced she could handle the type of life he lead; the sacrifices it would require from her, that'd there would be times he'd have to place his calling (and that's how he truly felt about being Superman) above everything else. He could have tried to stick it out with her and see if things changed but that wouldn't be fair to either of them; they both deserved happiness even if it wasn't with each other.

As they often did where matters of the heart were concerned Clark's thoughts turned to Lana. The breakup with Cat was a sharp contrast to the sharp agonizing pain he'd felt when he and Lana had called it quits that last time. Was it true that you only got a love like he and Lana shared once in a lifetime and he had blown his opportunity, was he now destined to be alone?

He didn't have any answers and he wasn't in the frame of mind to contemplate them either, he had to get up in a few hours and lead an attack against Lex. Weary and emotionally drained Clark disappeared in a blur of speed and headed home.

* * *

><p>The next day fifteen hundred miles away from Metropolis and two miles above an off the books Luthorcorp factory Wonder Woman and Superman hovered. Diana looked at her friend in concern he'd been acting odd, since the League had split up for their respective assignments met up. In contrast to the dejected vibe he'd put out yesterday, he was now abrupt, almost curt. It felt like a bad omen; something in Diana's gut told her this mission wasn't going to end well and Diana trusted her gut, so she was on high alert.<p>

"Any sign of Conduit?"

"No. I can't see through the buildings; lead mesh. I do see about eighteen defensive encampments, concealing A.A. guns and launchers, so watch out for those on your approach." Superman raised a hand to his ear for a moment. "All the other teams report that they're in position, are you ready?"

She hesitated for a moment. She wanted to voice her concerns but she knew that this was not the time to do so, anything that threw them off their game could prove fatal, especially considering who they could find inside this facility they needed to be operating at maximum efficiency. That didn't mean she was going to let this go; when this mission was over she would be having words with Kal. "Yes."

"Alright, I'll take that one," He pointed to the eastern building, "You take the other."

She blinked in surprise. "That wasn't part of the plan, it'd be best if we stuck-

"We need to shut this thing down as quickly as possible, we can't do that if your babysitting me because Conduit _might_ be down there, If I encounter him my suit will protect me."

Without waiting for a response he dove downward, Diana took a breath prayed for patience and followed. As they approached their targets the air came alive with thousands of rounds of ammunition tried to shoot them down. Diana easily deflected all the projectiles that came their way off of her gauntlets and Clark's heat vision handled the launchers and gun encampments.

Hardly slowing they split paths and each headed for their targets. Clark's x-ray vision may not have been working but his hearing didn't pick up any heartbeats in the section of the bunker he was aimed at so he poured on the speed and crashed through the outside wall in a spectacular show of debris. He had hardly landed when a klaxon began wailing and the heavy footsteps of guards began closing on his position.

Two dozen heavily armed men rounded the corner aiming automatic at him, with hardly a thought he inhaled through his nose and exhaled through his mouth; the guards scattered like tenpins. Now that he was inside he tried his x-ray vision again, but most of the rooms were lined with lead as well. But where his x-ray vision had failed again his hearing picked up the slack. He sorted through all the noise until; he was focused on a heartbeat that roughly matched a man of Harper's age, height, weight and build. With his target set Superman turned and headed off in that direction.

* * *

><p>Inside lab zero Doctor Harper watched on a closed circuit camera as Superman easily dispatched the guards, he saw the Man of Steel turn his head and pause for a moment before walking into the main corridor and head in the direction of the lab. Harper was in his heart he knew Superman was here for him, how the Man of Steel hadn't caught wind of this projects existence baffled Harper as only he Lex and a handful of others even knew the projects true goals, but now wasn't the time to wonder <em>how<em> it had happened the fact was it had. However If Superman thought he was just going to walk in here and bring him in well, he had another thing coming. As Superman continued down the main corridor, Harper engaged the lockdown protocol. _Let's see him get through that_. All around Superman solid Promethium barriers slid into place, Harper saw the look of surprise on the Man of Steel's face and had to resist the urge to giggle. He'd trapped Superman in a 20' x 20' cage of unbreakable metal. His celebration was cut short as a breach alarm went off, punching a few commands on the computer he saw a figure he immediately recognized as Wonder Woman breaking into the cold storage room.

Harper muttered a curse under his breath, as if Superman hadn't been enough to deal with… moving quickly he walked over to a table, upon which a figure was lying on, he picked up a hypodermic needle and injected it into the figure's neck. This was patient **0102307**, code name Anguish, real name…he couldn't remember, it started with an 'L' Laura or Leslie or something…whatever it was it didn't matter at the moment.

She opened her eyes and looked at Harper. "What's wrong Doc?"

"Were under attack is what's the matter!" He snapped.

Anguish sighed and sat up and followed Harper over to the console with the closed circuit cameras. "You see this? I need you to go take care of her, if she contaminates any of those experiments we'll lose months or years of research!" He pointed at Wonder Woman in the cold storage room. Anguish's face which had held a bored expression through Harpers speech abruptly shifted into something resembling interest. "Oh, is that Wonder Woman?"

Harper nodded.

"Hell yeah I'll fight her, She turned eagerly to Harper. "Can I kill her?"

"Do whatever you have to, just stop her!"

Anguish grinned evilly. "You got it Doc." She turned to leave but caught sight of Superman. "What about him, need me to take care of him too?"

"No, I have the situation under control."

Anguish's voice assumed an oily tone "Oh really, you might wanna take another gander at the monitor doc."

Harper turned to see Superman run his fingers along the front barrier stop, draw back and punch. To Harper's horror a fist sized indent appeared on the door…the supposedly indestructible door. "That's impossible, Promethium can stand up to a two megaton nuclear explosion unscathed. There is no way he should be able to generate enough force to do that." He breathed.

"Well whether he _should _be able to or not, as you can he _is__._Anguish smirked. "He's Superman doc, impossible is kinda his thing, now about my offer-"

"Just take care of Wonder Woman!" Harper practically screamed.

"Fine, whatever you say doc." She said with another smirk this time tinged with a hint of laughter before she turned and walked out the room through the nearest wall as if it hadn't been there.

"Insufferable witch." But the anger in his voice shifted as he saw Superman hit the exact same spot as before, this time increasing the size of the dent by what looked like a factor of three. He knew he didn't have long until Superman broke through that barrier and while his mind was still reeling from that revelation that Superman could do that he still didn't intend to make the Man of Steel's job any easier. Moving back over to the table that had been occupied only minutes earlier by Anguish, Harper retrieved another needle and moved down to the table at the foot of this one. On the table in an anesthetic induced slumber was Conduit.

Without wasting a beat he emptied the contents of the syringe in Conduit's neck. The meta-soldier woke with a groan. "Dad?"

Harper snorted in disgust. "Hardly, now get up, you're needed."

Even from inside the lab Harper heard the tortured groan as the Promethium door gave way under Superman's assault. Swallowing thickly Harper began to bring Conduit up to speed. "Superman's on his way here to capture me and shut down this operation, you are to stop him at all costs."

"Why would I want to do that after all the lies and mind games you've played with me? Give me one reason why I shouldn't let him take you."

"They were hardly lies Kenneth, consider it an incentive for you not to betray me and go rogue, because as we both know without me you'll never get a cure for your…condition and if Superman captures me what do you think he'll do to you, you'll likely be handed over to an off the books government facility where vivisection is a distinct possibility… As they say, the devil you know…"

"I swear I'll kill you one day old man."

Harper patted the air impatiently. "Yes, yes I've heard it all before Kenneth, now get into position. Consider this a unique opportunity to test the limits of your abilities."

Conduit moved just in time because the door to the lab was ripped off of its hinges and stepping into the room in a bulky variant of his costume was Superman.

He looked from Conduit to Harper. "Dr. Harper have Conduit ,stand down and we can avoid a-

"Spare me your rhetoric Superman, I know why you're here and it'd be in your best interest to turn around and walk away."

"I can't do that."

"Then you leave me no choice. Mr. Braverman, please handle this situation." Despite what he'd said earlier Conduit was itching for this opportunity, it seemed as if his whole life had led to this one moment. This was Superman, the biggest dog in the yard . If he took him down, instant respect, he'd be worshipped as a god…or at least that was his thought process. He'd finally prove he was worth something and all his life that's all he'd ever wanted.

So without a single word spoken Conduit rushed forward and attacked.

* * *

><p>Diana had elected for a stealthier approach than Superman; she'd used a side access door and had neutralized the guards quickly before they'd known she was upon them, the two dozen unconscious bodies and broken pile of weapons were testament to that.<p>

With that taken care of she had begun a thorough room by room search, the scientists reactions surprised her the most; those she came upon only examined her briefly before returning to their experiments and simulations. As if the appearance of a six-foot Amazon princess in a colorful costume with a glowing rope on her hip was an everyday occurrence...the capacity for the Patriarch's world to surprise her never ceased to amaze Diana.

After nearly fifteen minutes she came upon a large metal door that stretched from floor to ceiling, having a feeling that this was what she had been searching for she examined it for a moment before sinking her fingers in the metal and prying the door open, what was behind it took her breath away.

It was a storage facility, easily a hundred yards long and half as wide, but the space wasn't empty. Row upon row of bodies floated in tanks filled with pale luminescent green liquid. Cautiously she approached a tank, and rapped lightly on the Plexiglas, the tube's occupant didn't respond to the noise and continued to float there as if nothing had happened.

"Hera, what is this?" Diana whispered half mesmerized half horrified. Did one of these tanks contain Conduit, what sort of person could do something so ghoulish to their fellow man? Those questions and others danced around her mind.

Just then she heard a tremendous boom that actually shook the floor beneath her, before she could do little more than process the noise she caught sight of a figure in the reflection of the tube before her. Reacting quickly Diana dropped to her knees, rolled and came up facing in the direction of her would be attacker, raising her guard as she did so.

Her assailant was a tall woman, she was powerfully built and had she was clad in in a skintight black one piece bodysuit. From an appearance standpoint she was unremarkable (if a bit tall) save for her eyes; her eyes were white glowing masses with no visible pupil, how she saw Diana didn't have the faintest idea. "Who are you?"

"Hey that was pretty good, most people don't see me coming until it's too late. Won't do you any good though, to answer your earlier question my name's Anguish; Dr. Harper sent me to kill you."

"Sister, you may be a prisoner of this barbaric facility but you still have free will, you don't have to heed Harper's commands. We don't have to fight."

If anything Anguish's eyes seemed to glow brighter. "Oh yes we do, Doc says you could jeopardize this whole operation and blah- blah-blah. To tell you the truth I kind of tuned him out. The important thing is you will fight me, if you don't I'll start killing the chumps in these tanks one by one until you do."

They both knew Diana wouldn't let that happen so when she raised her guard Anguish smiled widely.

Good, good but I can tell your heart's still not in it, so I'll make you a deal. I'll give you the first punch, if you can hit me I'll surrender."

She bent down and presented her chin out and clasped her hands behind her back. Diana was skeptical but if her foe was going to offer her a free target she'd be foolish not to take it. Stepping forward Diana threw a left, her aim was true but the punch went through her opponent as easily as if she'd been punching empty air and connected with the wall behind her, Diana's eyes widened in disbelief.

Anguish smiled like a shark."Close but no cigar." She retaliated with a punch of her own. Diana stumbled back having felt the attack solidly, Anguish pushed forward snapping off another punch and connected again.

Diana tried to counterattack but that attack had as much success as the first one.

"Hey princess, I've got a question how can you beat what you can't hit, answer, you can't!" Anguish cackled as she continued to pour on the punishment to Diana.

* * *

><p>Clark couldn't help but notice how slow and sloppy Conduit's attacks seemed, a quick burst of super speed had him slipping punch after punch and upon seeing an opening he threw a counterstrike in less than the blink of an eye.<p>

Not sure how durable Conduit was he'd held back in the strike, nonetheless Conduit fell back several feet and landed hard.

He rose without any apparent harm and charged again, throwing a combination of punches that Clark slapped away; left, right, right again and then a left. Seeing an opening Clark brought his knee up into Conduit's mid-section hard enough to leave an imprint in the armor the other man wore. His opponent groaned and feel to his knees, very conscious of the danger Conduit represented Clark moved forward to continue his assault, but in a desperate attack Conduit fired a blast of green energy at Superman.

The Man of Steel fell back dizzy, his lead armor had blocked the majority of the blast but the sensation was stronger than what he'd felt with the piece of Kryptonite he had back in the barn. It hadn't been a debilitating attack but it had given Conduit enough time to regain his footing. He raised his arms and twin cables lanced out from the gauntlets on his armor whipping Superman to and fro.

Clark felt a cut on his face open as the cable struck him, and he landed heavily into a computer console, crushing it beneath him.

Conduit moved closer to his downed opponent all the while Harper was cackling in the background and directing Conduit to finish Superman off, the tone, the language all of it was so familiar and in that moment Kenny flashed back and all of a sudden Harper was his father, always yelling, abusing demeaning him except now he had the power to do something about it. The power to…

In less than the blink of an eye Conduit turned and fired a full power blast at Dr. Harper incinerating him where he stood.

Superman was horrified by what he witnessed and felt his stomach churn in a manner completely unrelated to the Kryptonite exposure.

"God that felt good, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do that? Now where were we?" He asked turning the full power of his gauntlets on Superman. The lead suit fought back with all it had but Conduit's energy overwhelmed it and tore a hole in the center of the suit, the feeling of Kryptonite suddenly magnified and Superman stumbled back Conduit seeing an opening hit the Man of Steel as hard as he could again and again even seemingly weakened Superman wouldn't go down.

He heard his father's voice echoing in his head. _Always number two Kenny…Never quite good enough…Such a disappointment_

Growling in frustration he kicked on his Rocket boots and charged at Superman, wrapping his arms around the groggy hero he drove him up and out of the Facility and into the air. _Just you watch old man, I'll show you. When I beat Superman, they'll be no doubt that I'm number one._

* * *

><p>Diana hadn't been able to land a single hit on Anguish, every attack she had tried had gone through the woman and if it weren't for the heavy blows she'd been receiving in return she'd have thought she was fighting a specter. Diana's experience with super powered opponents was fairly limited, excluding Cheetah, Giganta and Mercy she'd faced only a handful of them, but she'd never faced an opponent she couldn't hit and Anguish's earlier taunt rang in her head, how did you beat something you couldn't hit?<p>

Blocking a kick from Anguish Diana's thoughts raced; what would Philippus or Artemis do if they were in her situation?

Philippus brilliant tactical mind would have almost certainly analyzed Anguish and found half a dozen ways to take her down. Diana was certainly no slouch in strategy or tactics (as anyone who'd ever done battle with her could attest to firsthand) but she didn't share Philippus's innate genius in either department. Artemis on the other hand… well if Artemis was present she could almost hear her sister reply in that dry and flat tone tinged with a hint of sarcasm that had become her signature. "If hitting your opponent one way isn't working then find a different way to hit her."

_That_ she could work with, a plan begin to form in her head

Judging from the blows she'd received from Anguish could interact with solid objects if she desired, that told Diana her power wasn't reflexive in nature but was mentally controlled. So as long as she saw an attack coming her way she'd be able to phase through it now problem, but could the woman protect herself from a blow she couldn't see?

That was the question.

Diana shifted her position so she was standing directly in front of Anguish, reached up removed her tiara and snapped the enchanted projectile at her opponent, just as she had hoped it passed harmlessly through the cackling woman, it ricocheted off a wall, a pipe and impacted the woman solidly from behind. Anguish stumbled forward caught off guard by the attack and that was the opening Diana needed, she stepped forward and hit her opponent with a hard punch to the jaw. She dropped and didn't move.

Diana was a bit disappointed; for all the effort it had taken, for her opponent to be dropped by a single punch was more than anticlimactic… it was a downright disappointment. Shaking away that thought of she reaching to her hip she removed the lasso and used it to bind Anguish, powers or not she wouldn't be able to escape the ropes enchanted coils.

She'd barely stood before the ceiling caved inward a magnificent shower of debris and Superman's body crashed into the cement floor forming a crater.

Diana's breath seized and she rushed over to him, there were small lacerations and bruises on his face, his modified costume had a large hole where his familial crest was exposing his chest and a pair of angry burns.

He groaned. "Di- Diana, look out."

She turned in time to see Conduit, land heavily, raise his arms and fire a blast of green energy at her, acting with the speed of Mercury she raised her left arm and deflected the blast off of her left gauntlet. It hit the wall leaving a basketball sized imprint in the concrete.

She saw a look of shock cross Conduit's marred features but perhaps weary of her gauntlets he didn't make a move.

As much as she wanted to make sure Superman was alright she needed to deal with the threat of Conduit. As she stood and stepped forward Diana noted that sunlight was streaming through the hole in the roof Superman's impromptu entry had created, she was relieved; she'd seen him for more grievously injured and with the sun shining strongly he would be back on his feet in no time.

She got a better look at Conduit, he'd been through the ringer as well, there were fist sized indents along his armor, one of his gauntlets had been crushed and his helmet had been shattered. The fact that he was still standing warned her that he was tougher than he looked.

Making the first move Diana rushed forward, throwing a punch with her left hand. Sheer dumb luck saved Conduit as he leaned to the right he was able to use her forward momentum to turn her punch into a sloppy shoulder toss. Diana corrected herself in mid flip but it had given Conduit enough time to focus everything he had in the blast that caught Diana flat footed and unprotected, so the blast sent her flying backwards. Before she could overcome the momentum she felt a hand in the small of her back gently slowing her down; that could only mean one thing.

"Thank you Kal." She said relieved that he was back on his feet.

"Are you alright Diana?" He asked as they came to a stop.

"Yes, and you?"

"Much better."

"Good. Kal, do you remember that move we've been practicing in training…the one you called…what was it; _swing and launch?"_

"Launch and swing" he corrected "Why, you want to try it?"

She nodded. "I want to try it. You swing, I'll launch."

Taking a breath Clark blurred his form and raced forward at Conduit, as he'd hoped the villain was preparing to try and strike him, at the last possible moment Clark changed direction and sped around Conduit. Distracted he didn't notice Diana moving into position and snapped of a jumping front kick. The crushing blow caught Conduit flush in the jaw and sent him flying straight up, Clark mentally calculated Conduit's trajectory and launched himself upward and into position. Just as Conduit reached his apex Clark reached out and grabbed the dazed villain and as not to cancel any of the force behind Diana's kick, he swung Conduit around like a professional hammer thrower adding quite a bit of his own momentum and launched Conduit back at the ground.

Conduit landed hard enough to crack and crater the floor several feet beneath him. Thinking they'd managed to subdue Conduit the two heroes floated together but to both Superman and Wonder Woman's amazement Conduit climbed unsteadily to his feet.

"What in Hades name does it take to keep him down? We should try attacking him together again, we could… "Her sentence faltered as she caught the odd look on Superman's face.

"Hold on a second Diana," He took a step towards Conduit. "Mr. Braverman…Kenny we need to get you medical attention, your heart is straining underneath all the exertion and energy you've used. If you keep going, your heart will give out, please surrender, it's still not too late."

An ugly twisted smile marred Kenny's features. "Are you freaking kidding me Superman, I feel fine and I still have enough in the tank to take both of you out. I'm invincible, I can take anything you throw at me and give it right back to you!"

Even as he was speaking Diana noticed his pallor was almost ghostly, his chest was heaving, he couldn't seem to catch his breath and sweat was pouring of his face. Even without Kal's x-ray vision or super hearing she knew what those symptoms were signs of…he hadn't been bluffing.

She landed besides Superman but she kept her eyes on Conduit, he was too dangerous to ignore. "Is it as bad as it looks?"

"Worse." He replied his voice grim. " I don't think he's going to come peacefully, we're going to have to subdue him and get him to a hospital."

She nodded. "Agreed, I'll go high, you go low?"

He nodded and without a further word exchanged together they rushed at Conduit; Wonder Woman went for his torso and Superman went for the legs.

The three of them fell to the floor and underneath them Conduit trashed wildly, his body tightened, a strangled noise tumbled past his lips and then he went limp.

Superman heard the moment Conduit heart stopped beating. "No!"

Clark's x-ray vision told the story; Conduit's heart was far too damaged to resuscitate. He had pushed the damaged organ too far and it had finally given out.

Diana looked over at him "Is he…"

"Dead," He spat the word like a foul curse. "Damn it!"

Diana saw the red gleam in Superman's eyes and took a step forward. There was a blur of motion and when her vision cleared Superman had vanished from sight.

* * *

><p>Lex was in his office looking over the quarter's earnings when the window to his office exploded inward in a shower of glass. Lex schooled his initial reaction of shock and outrage once he saw who was standing in front of him. "Superman, I can assure you if you wanted to meet with me there was a much easier way to go about it."<p>

"It stops now Lex." The Man of Steel's features were set in stone.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage Superman, I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm talking about your machinations, these quests to create and control metahumans. All of it stops today. I won't let it go on, because of you two people died today, Sydney Harper and Kenneth Braverman. But with as God as my witness they'll be the last ones. The Justice League has shutdown Project Conduit; as of now you're offline Lex."

The presumption of this alien to march into _his_ office in_ his_ city and tell him what he could or couldn't do almost sent Lex over the edge…almost but he was Lex Luthor and he wouldn't lower himself to mindless anger.

"Dr. Harper is dead?" He shook his head gravely. "While that's a tragedy let me assure you I have no hand in whatever experiments Dr. Harper was conducting. I was only recently made aware of his transgressions myself by a concerned employee. I'll have you know that before the Justice League moved in to act as; judge, jury and executioner I was conducting an investigation into Dr. Harpers' questionable acts and …what was the name of it, Project Conduit? Anyway as far as liability goes my lawyers assure me I have none. They tell me that as far as the law is concerned Dr. Harper after receiving a sizeable sum of money from a Luthorcorp grant, sold confidential documents, violated his Hippocratic Oath, broke the international ban on human experimentation and committed high treason."

He stood and made his way over to the liquor cabinet and poured himself two fingers of brandy. "Given his…_checkered_ past perhaps I should have expected this. But I thought Harper's brilliance warranted a second chance." He turned around with his glass a mocking smirk dancing on his features. "Rest assured Superman I will be _much_ more discerning with the hiring of future Luthorcorp employees. Thank you for bringing this to my attention."

Clark felt his teeth clench, but before he could say anything the door to Lex's office burst open and half a dozen men poured in with automatic weapons all aimed at him.

"Was there anything else Superman?"

"I'm watching you Lex, remember that."

"I will and I'll be sure to have an invoice forwarded to the Justice League for that window you shattered."

Superman gave him one last look and he vanished just as suddenly as he had appeared.

The head of his security team, stepped forward, the nameplate on his tactical vest identified him as: R. Jennings, he holstered his weapon and moved closer to Lex. "Are you alright Mr. Luthor?"

Lex brushed him off. "I'm fine…and Jennings?"

"Yes sir?"

"You're all fired."

* * *

><p>Diana found him on a rooftop about five miles away staring at the Luthorcorp towers, it had taken a fair bit of searching but as fate would have it, she saw a blue and crimson blur fly out of hole in a window of Luthorcorp Tower's top floor.<p>

She landed beside him, taking note of his body language. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know." He turned and looked to her and she was surprised by the look of weariness on his face.

"What happened?"

"I let my temper get the better of me, I actually broke into Lex's office and just threatened him," He shook his head in disbelief, "I don't know what I was thinking."

Diana who had thus far had managed to hold her anger in check to make sure he was okay exploded. "What in Hades name has been going on with you Kal, for the past couple of days you've been distracted and distant and that," She jabbed a finger angrily at Luthorcorp tower. "And what happened back at that facility; you disregarding my help, abandoning our plan and confronting Condit so recklessly… that wasn't you. That wasn't the able leader of the Justice League, that wasn't my closest friend and ally; you could've gotten yourself killed! And for what, what possible answer can you have that justifies your actions?"

He didn't say anything.

"Answer me damn it!"

He looked at across the city for a moment before turning to her. "Diana, I-I've had some stuff going on in my personal life. I thought I was dealing with it but maybe…"He sighed. "Maybe its been bothering me more than I thought."

The vagueness of his statement told her more than he perhaps would have liked her to know…she would ask Chloe to confirm it later but she had a hunch, only now wasn't the time to find out if it was right or not. "That's no excuse." She said stonily.

"You're right there is no excuse for my behavior, I'm sorry Diana." She could hear the honesty behind his words and despite herself she felt her anger slip away.

She sighed. "Kal your problem is you always have to shoulder everything by yourself and I can understand that…to a point. There aren't many people who understand what we do, the sacrifices it entails. You especially, given how the public perceives you; the invincible champion of the masses…the embodiment of an ideal… believe me when I say that I understand that it's hard to live up to that kind of an image all the time. But there are those who care for you who see beyond that. People like Oliver and Chloe and Lois and your mother," She stepped closer to him. "To those close to you you're so much more than an ideal…more than just Superman. Go to them; confide in them, sharing your problems with those who care about you is not a weakness. You shouldn't let your problems build up until they consume you."

In that moment Clark felt a strange surge of emotion and he felt his stomach flip. "What about you Diana? Do you see me as more than Superman?"

Her lips drew up in a smirk. "Do you have to ask?"

Clark found he didn't want her levity in that moment. "You didn't answer me."

She saw the way he was looking and she felt the smirk slip off her face and her stomach clench. She didn't realize it but her tone had softened. "Yes Clark… of course I do…I'm always here for you."

The usage of his human name (a rare occurrence with her) made his stomach slip again and Clark found himself drawn in by Diana's dark sapphire eyes. He noticed she was matching his stare an intense look on her face, unlike anything he'd seen from her before, neither was aware of it but they had closed the distance between each other by half.

The tension in the air was thick and was steadily rising, the look in Diana's eyes had shifted and there was a…heat, a searing fire in her eyes. It was hard to describe but whatever it was it was drawing Clark in; tentatively Clark began to move his head closer to Diana, completely enthralled by her, his heart hammering in his ears.

The buzz of their Justice League communicators broke the trance and the tension that had been permeating the air dispersed instantly. The call was from Cyborg; he confirmed that the mission had been a success and all of the facilities had been shut down. He requested that one of them came to the Watchtower to file a report on what had transpired at Facility Three.

Diana took a step back. "I'll take it; you've been through a lot today and I need to retrieve my lasso and see that Anguish is handed over to the authorities."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She responded quickly not quite meeting his eyes.

In that moment Clark felt his emotions swirling, he was unsure of what to say, so he went with the first thing that popped into his head. "Thanks Diana… for everything, it means a lot and I'm truly sorry about what happened earlier at the facility."

She nodded her head absently and without another word and barely a wave she lifted off the roof and flew away.

He watched her go, before he floated off the roof and turned for home, his head abuzz with what had just transpired.

For a moment there before the communicators had gone off he'd…he'd wanted to kiss Diana and if the communicator hadn't gone off when it did he was pretty sure he would have.

Almost as quickly as the thought formed he stamped down on it; this was Diana after all, his friend and ally… not to mention she was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen…

Whoa! He definitely needed to stop that line of thought. His mind cast around for a moment before landing on…

Cat.

The problem was he was re-bounding after Cat…yeah that was it, he was still down and vulnerable about the ending of their relationship and he was attempting to ease those feelings by transferring them onto Diana.

_What about that look?_ A voice in his head countered snarkily. _You saw that look, she's never looked at you like that before and you saw the intensity, that fire in her eyes… what if she felt something too?_

Nothing, there was nothing to it; he was trying to put meaning where there was none. There was no indication that Diana viewed him as anything but a trusted ally and friend…and that's all there was to it.

Sure he could admit that she was attractive and not just physically but in temperament and personality as well; she was fearless, independent, caring and fierce, sharp but at the same time soft…

Anyway there was a leap from admitting he found Diana attractive to actually doing something with that information; a leap he knew he wasn't ready to (or even sure he should) take and now there was the question of what to do. He didn't want things to be awkward, didn't want his interaction with Diana to change, but who said it had too? After all he'd been attracted to women he had been friends with before and he'd handled it then, this shouldn't be any different_._

Besides it was just a rebound crush, these feelings would pass with time and things would go back to normal.

_But those other women weren't Diana we're they, and what if those feeling don't go away, what then?_

He found he didn't have an answer for that.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow, this chapter ended up almost three times larger than when I initially plotted it, but I think it's better for it. Okay couple of things I made Conduit **_**way**_ **stronger and more durable than he ever was in the comic's I didn't want Superman and Wonder Woman to just walk over him and with the amount of power they possess between them they would've done just that… **_**very**_** easily so I amped him up too make things a bit more interesting, I tried to keep all his daddy issues intact though, when Harper was first introduced awhile back he referred to Conduit as unstable and now you know why. Anguish is a villain from the new 52 reboot; she appeared in Superman issues #9-10, I needed someone for Diana to fight initially and she fit the bill, I don't feel like there's much I can do with her so we probably won't see her again. Now onto more important things: Clark and Diana; here's where things get interesting; Clark is aware of having an attraction (even if he's trying to downplay it) to Diana. Now the question is, is she aware of it and does she feel the same way? Was that almost-kiss reflective of her emotions or was she just caught up in the moment? Guess we'll have to wait and see in the next chapter (which I think you all are going to like)****.**** On a personal note if you've celebrated Christmas or Hanukah or Kwanza or the Winter Solstice or just enjoyed having a break from work, school etc., I hope you all had a safe holiday and have a happy New Year. I'll see you all in 2013 and as usual thank you for reading.**


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